Here is the home energy score explained in one line: it is a 1 to 10 rating of the house itself, not the people in it, from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). A 10 marks one of the most efficient homes for its climate, a 5 is about average, and a 1 is estimated to use more energy than most homes. It works like a miles-per-gallon label for a building.
So if a listing says "Home Energy Score 4," the answer to "out of what?" is out of 10, with 10 the best. Below we cover what feeds the number, what it leaves out, how to read the report, and what to do with it once you have one.
The Home Energy Score Explained: What It Is
The Home Energy Score is a national rating program that DOE launched in 2012. DOE's Home Energy Score program page (read 2026-09-23) describes it as giving "home owners, buyers, and renters directly comparable and credible information about a home's energy use," shown "on a simple one-to-ten scale, where a ten represents the most efficient homes."
The score is an asset rating. That means it rates the physical building: its shell and its main equipment. It does not look at your utility history. Two families can live in the same house and pay very different bills, but the house keeps the same score.
A trained assessor collects the data during a site visit and enters it into DOE's Home Energy Scoring Tool, which estimates how much energy the home should use under standard conditions. The score is the output of that estimate. DOE says assessors can deliver it inside an energy audit, as part of a home inspection package, or as a standalone service.
What a 1, a 5 and a 10 Actually Mean
The scale is relative, and it is adjusted for local climate. A house in Minnesota is compared against what is typical for a cold climate, not against a house in Arizona.
| Score | What DOE and program partners say it means |
|---|---|
| 10 | Among the top 10 percent of homes for low estimated energy use |
| 5 | Expected to perform about like an average home |
| 1 | Estimated to use more energy each year than 85 percent of homes |
Those bands come from DOE's About the Home Energy Score page on its Better Buildings site (checked 2026-09-23) and match the wording the City of Portland uses on its own score page.
Two things follow from the table. First, a 5 is not a failing grade. It is the middle. Second, a 10 is not a perfect house. DOE's own material notes that even a top-scoring home can often still be improved. Program details like these can change, so confirm the current wording on DOE's live page before you quote it to a buyer or seller.
What Goes Into the Score
DOE's Better Buildings pages say the assessor looks at two groups of things.
The envelope:
- Foundation
- Walls
- Roof and attic
- Insulation levels
- Windows
The systems:
- Heating equipment
- Cooling equipment
- Water heating
DOE describes the walk-through as taking about an hour. The tool is designed around a limited set of inputs so it stays quick and consistent between assessors.
That list is the useful part for a homeowner. Every item on it is something you can look at yourself. If you want to see these same parts of your house before an assessor does, our DIY home energy audit walk-through follows nearly the same order: attic, walls, foundation, windows, then equipment.
What the Score Leaves Out on Purpose
This is where most confusion starts. The score holds occupant behavior constant. DOE says the energy estimate assumes "standard operating conditions and occupant behavior." Thermostat settings, how many people live there, and how long the showers run are set to the same assumptions for every home.
That is deliberate. It lets you compare two houses on equal terms. It also means:
- The score is not a bill prediction. Your real costs will depend on your habits, your rates and the weather.
- Size counts against you. The score reflects total energy use, not use per square foot. DOE notes that a bigger house will usually score lower than a smaller one with the same features, even with efficient equipment.
- It is a model, not a measurement. The tool estimates use from the inputs. It does not meter anything.
That last point matters most. The score is not the same as a measured leakage number. If you want a hard figure for how leaky your house is, that comes from a test like the one in our guide to the blower door test and what the number means.
Home Energy Score vs a HERS Rating vs an Energy Audit
People mix these three up constantly. They are different tools for different jobs.
| DOE Home Energy Score | RESNET HERS Index | Full energy audit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | DOE, through partner organizations and trained assessors | RESNET, through certified raters | Independent auditors or utility programs |
| Scale direction | 1 to 10, higher is better | Lower is better | No single score |
| Main use | Existing homes, especially at sale | Often new construction and code compliance | Finding and ranking specific fixes |
| Typical method | Walk-through and data entry | Usually includes performance testing | Often includes a blower door and more |
| Output | Score, energy estimate, upgrade list | Index number and report | Detailed findings report |
The key thing to remember: on a HERS Index, a lower number is better. On the Home Energy Score, a higher number is better. A listing that shows a "HERS 60" and one that shows a "Home Energy Score 6" are not comparable numbers at all.
If a seller hands you either one, ask which system produced it before you read anything into it.
How to Read the Home Energy Score Report
The number is the headline. The report is where the useful detail sits. According to DOE, the report includes:
- The current score on the 1 to 10 scale.
- An estimate of total annual energy use, broken down by fuel type (electricity, natural gas, propane or oil).
- Estimated energy costs, based on the standard behavior assumptions, not your actual bills.
- A "Score with Improvements." This is what the house would likely score if the recommended upgrades were all made.
- A list of recommended cost-effective upgrades, each with the tool's estimated savings.
Read the gap between the current score and the score with improvements first. A small gap means the house is already close to what it can reasonably reach. A large gap means the building has fixable problems.
Then read the upgrade list itself. Treat the savings estimates as the tool's estimates, made under standard assumptions. We do not restate those figures as promises, and neither should a listing agent. Your results will depend on the house and how you live in it.
What to Do With a Low Score
A low score tells you the building is working harder than it should. It does not tell you which fix to do first on its own. The report's upgrade list helps, and it usually points at the same few envelope items that show up in almost every older house.
A practical order that holds for most homes:
- Air seal the attic floor and other big leaks first. Insulation works poorly when air moves through it. Our guide on how to air seal your house shows where the largest leaks usually are.
- Then bring attic insulation up to the level for your climate zone. Our climate-zone guide to how much attic insulation you need uses the ENERGY STAR table, which is based on the 2021 IECC. State and local code adoption varies, and your local building department has the final word.
- Then look at ducts, equipment and water heating, where the report flags them.
Equipment replacement involves gas lines, refrigerant and electrical work. Those parts belong to a licensed HVAC technician, gas fitter or electrician, not a homeowner.
Using the Score When Buying or Selling
Some cities require the score at sale. Portland, Oregon, for example, requires most homes to have a Home Energy Score and report when they are listed for sale. Other places are debating similar rules. Requirements are local and they change, so check with your city or county before assuming one applies to you.
If you are buying, use the score as a starting question, not an answer:
- Compare scores only between homes in similar climates, and remember the size effect.
- Ask for the full report, not just the number. The upgrade list tells you what future work may look like.
- Ask when the assessment was done. Work done since then will not show up.
If you are selling, a score with a large improvement gap is not automatically a problem. It can show a buyer exactly which upgrades are available.
What the Home Energy Score Cannot Tell You
We want to be plain about the limits, because nobody selling a score has much reason to be.
It cannot tell you your future bills. It assumes standard behavior, and your rates, habits and weather are your own.
It cannot find a hidden problem the assessor did not see. It is a walk-through, not a teardown. Wet insulation in a closed wall cavity or a disconnected duct behind a ceiling may not show up.
It cannot replace a measured test. A blower door number or a duct leakage test measures what the house does. The score estimates what a house like it should do.
It cannot compare across systems. A HERS Index or a local green-building label runs on a different scale.
The score is a good summary and a fair way to compare homes. It is not a diagnosis. For that, you still walk the house and find the loss yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Home Energy Score of 5 bad?
No. On DOE's scale a 5 means the home is expected to perform about like an average home in its climate. It is the middle of the range, not a failing grade. The report will still list upgrades that could raise it.
Does the Home Energy Score use my utility bills?
No. The score is based on the physical features of the house, collected during an on-site assessment. It assumes standard occupant behavior, so your actual bills do not change the number.
Why did my large house get a lower score than a small one?
The score reflects estimated total energy use, not use per square foot. DOE notes that a bigger home will generally score lower than a smaller one with similar features, even if its equipment is efficient.
Is the Home Energy Score the same as a HERS rating?
No. The Home Energy Score is DOE's 1 to 10 scale, where higher is better. The HERS Index is run by RESNET, and on that scale a lower number is better. The two numbers cannot be compared directly.
How do I get a Home Energy Score?
Through a DOE-trained Home Energy Score assessor, often working with a local partner organization, a home inspector or an energy auditor. DOE's program pages explain how to find one. We did not find a single national price on the DOE pages we checked, so ask the assessor for a written quote and confirm current program details on DOE's live page before you book.