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Advocates press for home energy labels; industry urges use of existing national metrics
Summary
Supporters told lawmakers a Connecticut home-energy label would help buyers, sellers and contractors compare efficiency and prepare housing for upgrades; industry groups urged the committee to adopt or adapt national standards rather than a Connecticut-only label.
A pair of bills on home-energy labeling and auditor training drew sharply divided testimony on Feb. 27 about the best way to give homebuyers and owners reliable energy information.
State and nonprofit witnesses said a standardized home-energy label would function like a nutrition label for houses, help buyers compare lifetime energy costs, encourage investment in weatherization, and support workforce development for energy auditors. Carrie Lynch of The Nature Conservancy and Cameron Kritikos of Build Green Connecticut urged the committee to adopt a label and to fund a training program for auditors so assessments are accurate and the state develops the workforce to conduct assessments at scale.
Industry witnesses, including the Propane Gas Association of New England and some builders— and realtor interests, warned that creating a separate Connecticut-only label risks consumer confusion and a patchwork of incompatible metrics. Those witnesses urged the committee to rely on established national systems such as the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) or Energy Star, or to adapt them, rather than asking DEEP to develop a brand-new state-only rating.
Several lawmakers asked about how a label would be administered and whether it would be mandatory to show a label on a listing. Witnesses said the most practical near-term step is to create a voluntary label program and credentialed auditors, and to ensure that consumer information is standardized and comparable across jurisdictions. Supporters argued that municipalities, market actors and lenders would benefit from a clear, reliable energy score as the state expands weatherization and electrification programs.
Next steps: The committee will examine whether to reference an existing national label or to authorize DEEP to use an adapted standard; lawmakers also asked for estimates of training costs and professional capacity to produce scores at scale.
