There are a lot of ways to get your house ready for market. You might want to give it a fresh coat of paint or spruce up the landscaping, for example. Aesthetic improvements like these are important, but in today’s market, homebuyers are looking for practical features, like energy efficiency.
Interest in sustainability and climate resiliency is rising fast, according to new research conducted by Zillow. If your house has energy efficient features, you should be showcasing them. And the best way to do that is with a HERS rating.
What Is a HERS Rating?
The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) was developed by RESNET and is the nationally recognized system for calculating a home’s energy efficiency. The rating itself is a numerical score based on your home’s overall energy efficiency.
To assign a rating, a RESNET-certified HERS rater will evaluate your home’s insulation, air leakage, windows, HVAC system, appliances, and more to determine how energy efficient it is. Then, they’ll rate it.
The rating provides an objective score that reflects how much energy your home uses compared to a reference home built to code. A lower HERS score indicates a more energy efficient home, which is a strong selling point, especially in 2025 as energy costs are rising and homebuyers are more aware of the effects of climate change than ever before.
Why Energy Efficiency Matters to Buyers
Homebuyers care about energy efficiency for two main reasons:
- Lower energy costs. The more energy efficient a house is, the less energy it will consume. That means lower utility bills. As energy prices increase, energy efficiency will become even more of a priority to homebuyers.
- More environmentally friendly. An increasing number of buyers are worried about their impact on the environment. A house with a good home energy score is guaranteed to have a smaller impact, which adds to its appeal.
Does a HERS Rating Increase Your Home’s Value?
A HERS index rating from a RESNET-certified rater can make your house more appealing to potential buyers, help it sell faster, and even increase its value. Here’s how:
- Credibility – A HERS rating is an independent verification of your home’s energy efficiency that comes from a nationally certified third-party expert. That kind of credibility instills confidence in buyers.
- Strong Selling Point – Energy efficiency is a tangible benefit that translates to lower energy bills and a reduced environmental impact. This can be the deciding factor for a buyer comparing several properties.
- Potential for Higher Offers – A good HERS rating can justify a higher asking price, especially in an area like Denver where buyers are increasingly conscious of energy costs.
- Faster Sales – With the added assurance that comes from a professional HERS home energy rating, buyers may feel more comfortable moving forward quickly with an offer.
The HERS Rating Process—What to Expect
The most important thing to remember when getting a HERS rating is that you need to work with a RESNET-certified HERS rater. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get a valid rating.
e3 Power is a RESNET-certified HERS rater in Denver. We are an independent energy efficiency testing company and we make the HERS rating process fast and easy. Here’s what you can expect when you come to us for a HERS rating in Denver:
- Assessment: We’ll visit your home to evaluate its current energy performance. We look at insulation, heating and cooling systems, windows, doors, and other key elements that impact energy use.
- Scoring: After the assessment, we’ll provide your HERS rating. Your score is based on a series of tests and calculations that measure how efficiently your home uses energy compared to a standard baseline.
- Recommendations: Along with your score, we’ll recommend the most effective upgrades you can make to improve your home’s energy efficiency and boost its score.
The best thing about working with e3 Power is that we are an independent energy auditor and testing company. Most energy auditing companies offer testing and rating as a way to upsell you on their home improvement services, like insulation. We only offer auditing and testing services, so you can rest assured that we’re giving you factual information you can trust, not trying to sell you on an upgrade you don’t need.
