viewings of energy certificates remains a challenge in countries like England and Germany – where they are free to access. Thus, charging users to access rating reports may not be a good strategy. Instead, utility ratepayer-funded retrofit programs may be in a position to contribute. An analysis of energy certificates in England and Wales finds that certificates would increase the demand for efficiency programs and cut the amount of marketing they need by £40 million annually (Olloqui 2009). As a result, the marketing funds saved for utility efficiency programs could be plowed directly back into operating the residential labeling program. The costs of assessing and rating each home may have to be borne by homeowners, as is the case today. The burden, however, should not be overstated: conducting a one-time site assessment at $200300, prior to selling or leasing, is a tiny fraction of typical home sale values or annual rental income. Apart from costs, a third obstacle is working to ensure that the building ratings are understood and accepted by homeowners and residents. A building rating program that is not part of house-hunting discussions or is not useful to decision-making fails to achieve its purpose. Sherman likens the possibility of widespread building rating to nutrition facts or miles-per-gallon ratings for cars, both of which are commonly talked about and used (Sherman 2012). He comments on building labeling that “if it doesn’t become part of the cultural vernacular… then we need to go back to the drawing board.”
Potential Impact on Home Retrofits Despite the obstacles, the impacts of residential energy labeling have the potential to be significant. As an example, if Massachusetts were to implement residential labeling requirements, it would affect 2.8 million housing units statewide (U.S. Census 2010). Out of these, 54,000 homes and condos were sold in 2011 (Laczkoski 2012), and 960,000 units were rented out. Assuming the rentals require the signing of a lease each year, this translates to 1.01 million housing units in Massachusetts requiring a disclosure of energy performance, each year. Additionally, if the uptake of energy efficiency retrofits is 90