The proposal would establish a municipal opt-in program requiring participating cities and towns to ensure residential properties undergo an energy assessment and receive a standardized rating before being publicly listed. Assessors—trained under new qualifications set by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER)—would evaluate building characteristics, renewable-energy features, and efficiency performance to generate a rating valid for eight years.
Participation would remain voluntary for municipalities, but once a locality opts in, sellers and landlords must disclose the rating in all public listings. Updated ratings would also be required if substantial home improvements materially change energy performance.
To support implementation, DOER would be responsible for developing standardized assessment methodologies, training programs, and a statewide phase-in schedule. Grant funding would be available to municipalities, nonprofit partners, and municipal lighting plants to help offset compliance costs for homeowners and landlords and to build the assessor workforce.
The bill also includes privacy protections, ensuring individual scorecards are not treated as public records and cannot be released without the homeowner’s consent. Aggregated data, however, may be used to support statewide planning and reporting.
Massachusetts aims to give homebuyers and renters clearer insight into long-term energy costs at a time when building performance is increasingly tied to affordability and decarbonization goals. Energy ratings can steer investments toward weatherization and electrification upgrades while strengthening the market value of efficient homes.
If enacted, DOER would be required to stand up the program within 18–30 months, with disclosure requirements taking effect in the same period. Municipalities could adopt the program as soon as it is established.
