Energy Labeling Public Hearings

It is extremely important that advocates testify in support of both of these two bills! We have been told that the only way for them to advance is for CT residents to overwhelm the committees with support. Register to testify NOW using the links below!

INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022, 10am

S.B. No. 14 (COMM) AN ACT CONCERNING HOME ENERGY AFFORDABILITY FOR HOME BUYERS.

• Individuals who wish to testify via Zoom must register using the On-line Testimony Registration Form. Registration will close on February 28, 2022 at 3:00 P.M. Speaker order of approved registrants will be listed in a randomized order and posted on the Insurance and Real Estate Committee website on February 28, 2022 after 5:00 P.M. under Public Hearing Testimony. 
• Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format to instestimony@cga.ct.gov.

HOUSING COMMITTEE, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022, 1pm

*H.B. No. 5041 (COMM) AN ACT CONCERNING HOME ENERGY AFFORDABILITY FOR HOME RENTERS.

• Individuals who wish to testify via Zoom must register using the On-line Testimony Registration Form.  Registration will close on Monday, February 28, 2022 at 3:00 P.M. Speaker order of approved registrants will be posted on the Housing Committee website on Monday, February 28, 2022 at 6:00 P.M. under Public Hearing Testimony.
• Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format to HSGtestimony@cga.ct.gov. 

Please consider providing virtual in-person and written testimony. Make sure to provide testimony for both bills. Testimony should clearly state testifier name and related Bills.  The Committee requests that testimony be limited to matters related to the items on the Agenda.  The first hour of the hearing is reserved for Legislators, Constitutional Officers, State Agency Heads and Chief Elected Municipal Officials.  Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony.  The Committee encourages witnesses to submit a written statement and to condense oral testimony to a summary of that statement.  All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information.  As such, it will be made available on the CGA website and indexed by internet search engines.

Talking Points:

• Providing an energy label is basic consumer protection. Energy burden is extremely high in Connecticut. Requiring housing energy transparency and disclosure protects vulnerable communities that are disproportionately impacted by energy burden. The energy label informs people of the “total cost of owner/renter-ship”, and allows them to make an informed decision about which home is truly less expensive. 
• There are many options for energy labeling, and two of those options are independent of the energy usage habits of the previous residents. Both a Home Energy Score and a HERS Rating are based on the physical attributes of the home that contribute to energy efficiency: insulation, air-tightness, and equipment efficiency.
• CT is a leader in providing Home Energy Scores through the Energize CT Home Energy Solutions program. A home energy audit is free to the income-eligible and just $50 for everyone else.
• The physical attributes of a home that impact energy cost also directly tie to occupant health such as adequate ventilation, moisture, and temperature. A highly efficient home is often a healthier home, when done correctly.
• Knowing the energy profile of a home before purchase allows the buyer to roll energy-efficiency upgrades into their mortgage to achieve immediate savings where the energy cost savings are more than the additional monthly mortgage expenses associated with the energy-efficiency work.
• Requiring Homeowners and Landlords to acquire a home energy label raises awareness about energy-efficiency measures that can be taken to make their properties more economically stable for renters and more attractive for potential residents.
• There are many programs available that provide incentives and rebates for energy-efficiency work, including, but not limited to, the federal Weatherization Assistance Program, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Energize CT Home Energy Solutions, the CT Green Bank Smart E-Loans, and the soon-to-be-offered Connecticut Affordable Housing Energy Efficiency Retrofit Grant Program.
• Energy-efficiency work creates and sustains high quality jobs. In Connecticut, eight out of ten clean energy jobs are in energy efficiency, and we need many more to keep up with current demand and scale-up.

*H.B. No. 5041 (COMM) AN ACT CONCERNING HOME ENERGY AFFORDABILITY FOR HOME RENTERS.

Summary of the bill:

• An energy label is required to be provided upon listing a dwelling unit for rent, except if the utilities are included in the rent, if the dwelling unit was constructed on or after Jan 1, 2000, or for a dwelling unit in a landlord occupied building until July 1, 2026.
• Requirement will go into effect July 1, 2023 for municipalities containing census tracts where energy burden is 10% or higher, July 1, 2024 where energy burden is 6% or higher, July 1, 2025 where energy burden is 4% or  or higher, and July 1, 2026 for all municipalities.
• Accepted energy labels are a Home Energy Score, HERS Rating, or Energy Star Score, with the ability for DEEP to evaluate and add more options in the future.
• Eligible municipalities may, by ordinance, impose a penalty for non-compliance of up to $500 for first violation, and $1,000 for subsequent violations.

S.B. No. 14 (COMM) AN ACT CONCERNING HOME ENERGY AFFORDABILITY FOR HOME BUYERS.

Summary of the bill:

• On or after July 1, 2023, a homeowner is required to provide an energy label to all prospective buyers, except for homes constructed Jan 1, 2000 or after, an acquisition by foreclosure, or any preforeclosure sale for less than the amount owed on the mortgage.
• Accepted energy labels are a Home Energy Score, HERS Rating, or Energy Star Score, with the ability for DEEP to evaluate and add more options in the future.
• Any municipality may, by ordinance, impose a penalty for non-compliance of up to $1,000 for first violation, and $2,000 for subsequent violations.

INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022, 10am

The Insurance and Real Estate Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. via Zoom. The public hearing can be viewed via YouTube Live.  In addition, the public hearing may be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com.   If you do not have internet access, you may provide testimony via telephone.  To register to testify by phone, call the Phone Registrant Line at (860) 240-0411 to leave your contact information.

HOUSING COMMITTEE, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022, 1pm

The Housing Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 1:00 P.M. via Zoom.  The public hearing can be viewed via YouTube Live.  In addition, the public hearing may be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com.      If you do not have internet access, you may provide testimony via telephone.  To register to testify by phone, call the Phone Registrant Line at (860) 240-0340 to leave your contact information.