This January 1, 2009 a home energy audit will be required to be conducted in conjunction with a home inspection when selling a home in Montgomery county Maryland. Bill 31-07 was passed in April 2008 by the Montgomery County Council.
The Bill states;
“If a home inspection is completed in Connection with the sale of a single family home, the home inspection must include a home energy audit conducted by a qualified home energy performance rater”.
A home energy audit means that someone certified in the home energy field will test the home with the appropriate equipment to test the home’s efficiency and determine the steps, if any, that need to be taken to improve the home’s energy rating.
I have searched through the State of Maryland’s website and Montgomery County Website for more information. I found where they estimate that a home energy audit would run from about $350 to $700. This will include Town homes, I am not clear if condos will be included in this legislation or not.
It is also not clear to me if the purchaser is going to pay for this like a home inspection or if the seller is going to be responsible for the inspection prior to contract? The other issue that is unclear to me is if the seller will have to re-mediate the items the home energy rater finds deficient with the home?
In addition the seller will be required to provide the purchaser with the home’s energy bills for the 12 previous months – prior to signing the contract of sale – and any energy improvements that the seller has done to the property. If the seller did not occupy the property for the 12 months prior to the contract of sale, Pepco will give the average electric bill for the previous 12 months.
We are awaiting new forms and updates on how this legislation will be enforced at the beginning of the year. I will keep everyone abreast as I receive the information.
UPDATE TO THIS POST!! This was legislation that was on the books to be passed for 2009. Homeowners are not required to have home energy audits. However, the new legislation requires that home owners provide potential purchasers an list of the kilowatts or energy cosumption that is used for each month and the amount in dollars of that usage.
This is for all utilities except water consumption.
What a great thing. It is about time the government got involved in forcing awareness of individual’s environmental footprints.
I wish Florida were this progressive.
Thanks Riley. I am sure it will start in a few places and move across the country. Just not sure how it will all play out as far as the real estate sale transaction goes? We will see.