How is this different from a HERS rating?

HERS (Home Energy Rating System) is a calibrated, RESNET-certified rating that requires blower-door tests, duct leakage tests, and modeling software. This checker is a directional self-score using DOE rubric categories.

What R-value should my attic insulation be?

US DOE recommends R-49 in cold climates (zones 5–8), R-38 in mixed climates (3–4), and R-30+ in warm (1–2). If your attic is below R-19, adding insulation pays back in 1–3 years.

Why does HVAC get the biggest weight (18)?

Heating and cooling typically consume 40–50% of a home's energy. Other categories matter, but no single change moves the needle like upgrading from a 15-year-old furnace to a heat pump.

What's the "best" possible score?

100, achieved by maxing every category: R-49+ attic, triple-pane Low-E, blower-door-sealed, high-eff heat pump, heat-pump water heater, all ENERGY STAR appliances, 90%+ LED, smart thermostat, mastic-sealed ducts, and net-zero solar.

Do I need to upgrade everything at once?

No. The "Top improvement areas" output tells you which 3 changes would lift your score the most. Knock those off, re-run the rubric, and you'll see the next priorities.

Energy Efficiency Checker

Score your home efficiency across insulation, windows, HVAC, water heater, and renewables with a top-fixes list.

Written by Golam Rabbani, Founder & Lead Engineer

This interactive tool requires JavaScript. Read the formula and worked example below; you can compute the result by hand.

Answer each item — choose the option closest to your home.

Attic insulation R-value (weight 15)

Reference: US DOE Recommended R-values (Zone 5 baseline R-49)

Windows (weight 12)

Reference: ENERGY STAR window criteria

Air sealing / weatherstripping (weight 10)

Reference: DOE Building America program

Heating/cooling system (weight 18)

Reference: ENERGY STAR HVAC efficiency tiers

Water heater (weight 10)

Reference: ENERGY STAR water heater UEF

Major appliances (fridge, washer, dishwasher) (weight 10)

Reference: ENERGY STAR appliance labels

Lighting (weight 5)

Reference: DOE LED guidance

Thermostat (weight 5)

Reference: ENERGY STAR smart thermostat

Duct sealing (weight 8)

Reference: DOE duct leakage benchmarks

Onsite renewables (weight 7)

Reference: EIA distributed PV

How to use this energy efficiency checker

For each of the 10 categories (attic, windows, sealing, HVAC, water heater, appliances, lighting, thermostat, ducts, renewables), pick the option closest to your home.
Each option has a built-in score 0–100 — based on US DOE Home Energy Score and ENERGY STAR efficiency tiers.
Press "Score my home" to see your weighted score, letter grade, and the top three improvement areas.
Expand "View per-item contribution" to see how each category contributed.
Use Copy to share the result or Reset to redo the rubric.

About this energy efficiency checker

The energy efficiency checker scores your home on 10 directionally-weighted categories from the US DOE Home Energy Score rubric. Each category has 3–4 quality tiers (e.g., attic insulation "Below R-19" through "R-49 or higher") with built-in 0–100 scores. Your weighted score = Σ(tier score × category weight) ÷ total weight. The tool then identifies the three categories with the largest gap between your selection and the best option as your "top improvements."

Example: a home with R-30 attic (score 85, weight 15), double-pane Low-E windows (85, w 12), some air sealing (55, w 10), ENERGY STAR HVAC (90, w 18), ENERGY STAR tank water heater (85, w 10), mixed appliances (60, w 10), 90% LED lighting (100, w 5), programmable thermostat (70, w 5), some duct sealing (60, w 8), and no solar (30, w 7). Weighted = (85×15 + 85×12 + 55×10 + 90×18 + 85×10 + 60×10 + 100×5 + 70×5 + 60×8 + 30×7) ÷ 100 = 7510 ÷ 100 = 75 → grade C. Top fixes: solar (potential +4.9 pts), sealing (+4.5 pts), appliances (+3.5 pts).

This is a directional self-assessment, not a calibrated rating. For an audit-grade score, hire a RESNET HERS rater or schedule a DOE Home Energy Score assessment through a state energy office. The rubric uses ENERGY STAR thresholds (SEER ≥ 16, AFUE ≥ 95%, UEF ≥ 0.95) and DOE recommended R-values.

FAQ

How is this different from a HERS rating?: HERS (Home Energy Rating System) is a calibrated, RESNET-certified rating that requires blower-door tests, duct leakage tests, and modeling software. This checker is a directional self-score using DOE rubric categories.
What R-value should my attic insulation be?: US DOE recommends R-49 in cold climates (zones 5–8), R-38 in mixed climates (3–4), and R-30+ in warm (1–2). If your attic is below R-19, adding insulation pays back in 1–3 years.
Why does HVAC get the biggest weight (18)?: Heating and cooling typically consume 40–50% of a home's energy. Other categories matter, but no single change moves the needle like upgrading from a 15-year-old furnace to a heat pump.
What's the "best" possible score?: 100, achieved by maxing every category: R-49+ attic, triple-pane Low-E, blower-door-sealed, high-eff heat pump, heat-pump water heater, all ENERGY STAR appliances, 90%+ LED, smart thermostat, mastic-sealed ducts, and net-zero solar.
Do I need to upgrade everything at once?: No. The "Top improvement areas" output tells you which 3 changes would lift your score the most. Knock those off, re-run the rubric, and you'll see the next priorities.