The Boston Herald recently published my Letter to the Editor, written in response to their editorial disparaging Massachusetts legislation that would require a home energy audit and disclosure of an energy label (i.e. rating) prior to a sale. I disagree with the editorial, but the Herald earned my respect for their willingness to publish an opposing view. They edited my letter slightly, and since I prefer the original (I’m completely unbiased of course), here it is:

The Herald editorial on July 3rd was a disappointment. It misleadingly criticizes Senate legislation that would require homeowners to disclose energy assessment results to prospective homebuyers. The claim made by the Herald that buyers will “simply filter out” low-performing properties has no basis in fact, and contradicts the claim made in the same editorial that homebuyers already “have an idea” if a home is efficient before buying.

Disclosing an energy label—an intuitive score based on the physical characteristics of a home—provides important information to homebuyers and leverages the market to improve efficiency. Few of us would buy a car without knowing its MPG rating, yet we spend far more money on our homes without knowing how much energy they will use. Much like Energy Star ratings for appliances, home energy labels help consumers make better informed decisions, which leads to more efficient homes. And research by the University of North Carolina and the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) found that owners of energy efficient homes are 30% less likely to default on their mortgages.

We must reduce residential energy consumption if we have any hope of meeting our legally binding Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) targets. Requiring energy audits and home energy labels is a step in the right direction. Hyperbolic editorials and labeling citizens as “climate zealots” helps not at all.