Zoocasa
Sold Prices
Mortgage Calculator
Map
Market Insights
  • Blog Home
  • For Buyers
  • For Sellers
  • Real Estate News
  • Mortgage News in Canada
  • Free Guides (PDF)
  • Real Estate Infographics
Zoocasa
Home Real Estate News

OREA Successfully Fights Mandatory Energy Score on Home Listings

Zoocasa by Zoocasa
March 19, 2018
in Real Estate News
2 min read
Mandatory Energy Score
Share3
Tweet
Share
3 Shares

The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) has successfully lobbied against a provincial proposal to require home sellers to conduct an energy audit and list the score on MLS.

As part of its five-year climate change action plan, Ontario wanted to provide free energy audits to improve consumer awareness by allowing home buyers to compare homes by energy rating and to incentive owners to make energy efficient renovations.

Selling Price Concerns

The Home Energy Rating and Disclosure program was to be launched in 2019, but plans were cancelled this March after consulting with lobby groups such as OREA.

OREA was mainly concerned that a lower energy score would reduce a home’s selling price and unfairly target homes listed on the MLS – privately sold homes would be exempt from providing an energy score to prospective buyers.

Other concerns brought up were about the energy auditors’ credentials, whom OREA claim lack rigorous training and standards. It’s not clear if homeowners can properly trust the findings of an energy audit they if they are not licensed by a provincial regulating body and have no code of conduct.

A 2007 Toronto Star investigation, for example, details that four auditors came up with four wildly different  energy ratings for the same Toronto house.

The Impact of Reduced Home Emissions

While claiming to support Ontario’s attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it’s unclear if OREA believes that energy efficient residential homes would have any measurable impact on such emissions.

“In the last quarter of 2014, only 7.1 per cent of Ontario’s electricity production was generated through fossil fuels. Due to the overwhelming majority of electricity production from clean energy sources in Ontario, a reduction in home energy consumption in Ontario will have only a minimal impact on the province’s GHG targets,” writes OREA in its consultation submission to the Ontario Ministry of Energy in 2015.

In the same letter, however, OREA appears to contradict itself by writing “…REALTORS® want to see a greener, healthier environment for future generations and we believe energy efficient housing can play an important role in achieving those goals.”

OREA suggests an alternative solution would be to voluntary include an energy audit in a standard home inspection.

Previous Post

Mid-Month March Home Sales Heat Up from February [INFOGRAPHIC]

Next Post

Best Canadian Markets for Buying a Home on One Income

Zoocasa

Zoocasa

Zoocasa.com is a full-service brokerage that offers advanced online search tools to empower Canadians with the data and expertise they need to make more successful real estate decisions. View real estate listings on zoocasa.com or download our free iOS app.

Related Posts

A street-level photo of some buildings in Toronto.
Canada

The Top Toronto Neighbourhoods with the Biggest Home Price Increases in the Last 5 Years

April 19, 2023
City Skyline
Canada

New Listings Across Canada Hit 20-Year Low Shaping Favourable Conditions for Sellers: CREA

April 14, 2023
Someone handling some papers with Scam written on them.
Expert advice

How To Protect Yourself from Property Fraud

April 7, 2023

Blog Search

No Result
View All Result

Newsletter Sign-up

Join a community of 130,000+ subscribers. Don't miss important real estate news, market data, and buying and selling tips.

Recent Articles

Skyscrapers

GTA Sales Up Annually for First Time Since 2021: TRREB

June 2, 2023
A view of downtown Calgary from above.

Discover the Top 10 Activities to Do in Calgary, Alberta in Spring/Summer 2023

June 2, 2023
A row of different colored houses

Mastering the Peak Buying Season: Key Strategies for Success

June 1, 2023

Detached Home Prices Soar in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) During Q1

May 31, 2023

Featured Listings (Updated Weekly)

A small lighthouse in Nova Scotia

Luxury Real Estate in Halifax, NS: 7 Listings You Can’t Miss

May 12, 2023

Updated: 7 Houses Currently For Sale in Toronto Under $699,900

May 2, 2023
A detached house on a sunny day.

Updated: 7 Houses Under $900,000 For Sale in Mississauga

April 27, 2023
The outside of a detached home.

Updated: Cheapest Toronto Homes Currently Listed for Sale Under $1,000,000

April 26, 2023
first-time home buyer programs and rebates

Social Media

250 The Esplanade Suite 408 Toronto, ON M5A 4J5

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Careers | Sitemap | About Us

 

Zoocasa © 2007–2022. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA.

Stay Connected

1-844-683-4663 | [email protected] 

  • Blog Home
  • For Buyers
  • For Sellers
  • Real Estate News
  • Mortgage News in Canada
  • Free Guides (PDF)
  • Real Estate Infographics
  • Real Estate News
No Result
View All Result

Zoocasa © 2007–2022. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA.