The number of homes that were HERS-rated and received a HERS Index Score in 2022 continued to break historical records. In 2022, there were 337,962 homes HERS-rated in the country. This pushed the total number of homes HERS-rated in the U.S. to date to over 3.6 million. The previous record from 2021 was 313,153 homes HERS-rated. The average HERS Index Score in 2022 was 58. This is 42 percent more efficient than a home built as recently as 2006.
“Homebuilders are increasingly seeing energy efficiency as a major selling point for buying a new home,” says RESNET Executive Director Steve Baden. “To take advantage of this opportunity, builders across the nation are presenting their homes' energy performance in a way that every home buyer can understand, the home's HERS Index Score. I expect that this trend will continue. It is particularly encouraging that the average HERS Index Score of homes HERS rated was 58. This is 42 percent more efficient than homes built as recently as 2006 and 72 percent more efficient than a typical home built in the 1970s. I congratulate the builders, HERS Raters, and RESNET strategic allies that are leading the trend to mainstream high-performance homes in the marketplace.”
Rankings by state
The 10 leading states in terms of homes receiving a HERS Index Score were Texas (81,674), Arizona (26,828), North Carolina (22,068), Florida (20,407), Colorado (19,157), South Carolina (13,920), Indiana (13,815), Virginia (11,462), Massachusetts (10,189) and Minnesota (10,189).
The top five states with the lowest average HERS Index Scores were California (18), Vermont (40), Mississippi (45), Hawaii (47) and South Dakota (47).
Energy savings for HERS-rated homes
Of greater significance is the energy bill savings that the families who purchased these HERS-rated homes are receiving. It is calculated that the 2022 HERS-rated homes will net over $253 million in annual energy bill savings, as compared to the HERS reference home.
In addition, it is calculated that the homes that were HERS rated in 2022 will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 1.5 million tons annually. These savings will, according to the EPA calculator, equate to over 3.1 million passenger vehicles being taken off the road for one year.
“RESNET, however, is not content with the current market share of HERS-rated homes,” says Baden. “In 2023, RESNET is launching its initiatives that will include increasing the demand for HERS Raters services through new opportunities in energy code compliance, water efficiency rating, rating the installation of HVAC systems, the new RESNET Carbon Index and the emergence of ESG reporting and green bond mortgages based on HERS Ratings.”
