Home Energy Score (HES) Campaign

Latest Updates:

• In March 2026 Thurston County passed the Home Energy Score ordinance. CLICK HERE to see the info on their website.
• In April 2026 the City of Olympia passed the Home Energy Score ordinance. CLICK HERE to see the info on their website.
• The City of Tumwater's City Council planned to vote on the Home Energy Score ordinance on July 15, but passed it off to their Equity Commission for review. They will bring it up for a vote in October. CLICK HERE for the info on their website.
• The City of Lacey has put off their vote until 2027.
• You can find updates from the Thurston Climate Mitigation Collaborative HERE.

How to get Involved: We need your support to ensure HES passes in Tumwater! Currently the Realtor's Association (both state and local) is spending a lot of time and money sending out false information about HES. We need to work together to combat this false information and ensure the HES ordinance is passed.

Background on HES:

The Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (TCMP), which TCAT was instrumental in getting adopted by Thurston County, Tumwater, Lacey, and Olympia in 2021, includes 72 specific actions needed to make sure we meet science-based targets for reducing our carbon pollution (green house gas emissions). One of those actions is that all homes listed for sale have a Home Energy Score (HES).

The HES is a tool that helps homebuyers understand the full cost of home ownership, including energy costs. The HES provides a whole-home efficiency rating from 1 to 10. It estimates the home's annual energy costs and provides a list of recommended upgrades to lower energy bills and make the home more comfortable. The HES will save money and reduce the carbon pollution that causes climate change.

In 2024, Olympia worked with partners in Tumwater, Lacey, and Thurston County to research home energy labeling programs in other communities. To collect input, they held focus groups with Thurston County professionals with expertise in real estate, home financing, building and contracting, energy efficiency, low-income services, and affordable housing.

The staff of TCMP jurisdictions (Olympia, Tumwater, Lacey, and Thurston County) developed a model ordinance (the Residential Energy Performance Rating and Disclosure ordinance) that establishes HES policy, and how it will be implemented. The ordinance requires an HES assessment when a home is listed for sale. The ordinance would not require any energy improvements be made. Ordinances passed take effect after a year of community education and workforce development.

The HES Assessment is conducted by a certified assessor, takes about one hour to complete, and typically costs $150-350. The assessment covers 40+ data points from a home including its age, size, number of stories, foundation, windows, insulation, heating and cooling systems, and water heating systems. It does not account for individual behavior, which can vary drastically from one homeowner to another.

The assessment provides an energy use score and a list of cost-effective energy efficiency improvements. Priority improvements are estimated to pay back in ten years or less.

Home Buyers: The HES makes energy costs transparent across the housing market and allows you to compare the energy costs of multiple listings.

Home Sellers: The HES ensures your listing reflects the value of the energy investments you have made.

 

FAQs (Questions & Answers about HES):

Did you know that....HES is not the same as a home inspection. An HES audit is a much more detailed report on what effects a home's energy consumption. The average cost of an audit is $150 - $150. Where the HES ordinance is passed, a home's HES score will be listed on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The ordinance provides subsidies and exceptions to some low-income households.

You can get more indepth facts and information by reading our FAQ sheet here: FAQ Sheet HERE.

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