Oregon Governor Seeks Mandatory Efficiency Audits for Home Sales
Oregon’s governor, Ted Kulongoski, wants to require any owner selling or renting a home or commercial building in the state to obtain a certificate disclosing the property’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The mandate, part of his climate change agenda for 2009, would take effect in 2011 for new and existing homes and in 2012 for commercial buildings.
How is this different then disclosing the utility costs? It feels like yet another bureaucratic plan which won’t really benefit Oregonians.
on Dec 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Chris Moran
on Dec 29th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
it’s different because an efficiency audit is a series of tests, done by a professional (probably thru the Oregon Energy Trust) that shows empirically the state of the house. an audit will show where insulation is needed, window replacement, leaks thru electrical sockets, etc. these are already available, for free, and to mandate them is no different than mandating cars pass a DEQ inspection. few of us want smoke-spewing junkers on the road, and i don’t think anyone wants to get stuck with a lemon of a house that doubles their energy costs.
research: it’s never a bad thing to do before criticizing something.
on Dec 30th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Dunno. Last time I bought a house, I paid for my own inspector. He tested the furnace, found windows where the seal was busted, etc. It wasn’t an “energy audit”, but I had an accurate picture of what I was getting into. It cost me about 300 bucks for him. He also looked for a bunch of stuff that wasn’t energy related – pests, wood rot, roof, insulation, drainage.
The energy audit feels like a mandate telling the prudent buyer to do what he is already doing. I just expect that this will add to the cost of selling a home, without any real benefit. I wonder if the mandate will spin up a new Department of Household Efficiency in Oregon, (take time and money from more pressing issues).