🛠 NEW: Explore Retrofit Plans With The Green Home Score Predictor
Use your score as a baseline, then test upgrade packages quickly—before you spend a dime.
So you’ve entered data into the Home Energy Score (HES) and received your first score. However, for most people, learning how to rate a home is just the first step. What’s needed is a roadmap showing which combination of upgrades will deliver the biggest energy and carbon emissions reductions for your budget.
To make this easier, we created the Green Home Score Predictor. It has fewer inputs than the Home Energy Score and allows you to run a variety of scenarios in much less time. Trying different combinations of measures is a smart way to test what might work well in your home — you can even ask for rough cost estimates — before you spend a dime.
Most homeowners won’t do everything at once — and they don’t have to.
Use the Green Home Score Predictor to map out upgrade packages based on timing, budget, and life events (like move-in or replacing a boiler). Each step improves comfort and long-term affordability — while staying on track toward the ultimate goal: a healthier, low-emissions home.
| 🏷 Package Level | 🎯 Best For | 🧰 Includes | 📉 Estimated Savings | 📝 Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔹 Basic Package | Older or leaky homes with low insulation | Air sealing, attic insulation (R-49+), basic duct sealing, LED lighting | 10–20% | Low cost, quick return. Focus on stopping stack effect. Seal first, then insulate. |
| 🔹 Intermediate Package | Homes needing moderate improvements | Wall insulation, window upgrades, high-efficiency HVAC | 20–35% | Good for staged retrofits. Pair with partial electrification or renewable-ready panels. |
| 🔹 Deep Retrofit | Homes that require major renovations | Full electrification, heat pump HVAC + water heater | 50%+ | Max impact. Often done during renovations or with incentive stacking (IRA, tax credits). |
For example, a St. Paul homeowner with a 1915, 3 bedroom two story home used the DOE's HES tool to model changes that will boost their score from 1 to 9. 🚀
| 🧱 Retrofit Stage | 🏁 Score | 💸 Annual Cost | ⚡ Annual Energy Use | 🔑 Key Assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Retrofit | 1/10 | $3,037 | 253 MBtus | Leaky basement, poorly insulated walls & attic |
| Basic Package | 3/10 | $2,848 | 226 MBtus | Attic insulation to R-55, some air sealing |
| Intermediate | 5/10 | $2,498 | 190 MBtus | Includes all basic steps plus rim joist sealing with spray foam |
| Intermediate Package 2 | 7/10 | $2,226 | 162 MBtus | Includes intermediate items plus a condensing boiler |
| Advanced Package | 9/10 | $2,158 | 137 MBtus | Includes all intermediate steps plus adding an air-to-water electric heat pump |
Before creating an upgrade package, reflect on what matters most to you. Do you want lower bills, better indoor air quality, or a home ready for solar and EV charging? Your goals should guide which improvements to model and when to make them.
| 🎯 Priority | 💬 What It Means | 🧩 Upgrades That Support It |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Comfort | Even temperatures, no drafts, quieter systems | Air sealing, attic insulation, heat pumps, duct sealing |
| 💰 Affordability | Lower energy bills, protection from fuel price spikes | Efficiency upgrades, smart thermostats, LED lighting |
| 🌱 Climate | Cut carbon emissions, go all-electric | Heat pumps, induction stove, electric water heating, EV charger |
| 🔋 Resilience | Ready for outages or future solar + battery system | Panel upgrade, battery-ready wiring, efficient envelope |
| 👃 Health | Improved indoor air quality, reduced combustion indoors | ERVs/HRVs, heat pumps, ventilation upgrades |
| 🧩 Phased Investment | Coordinate upgrades with replacements or renovations | Modular planning, priority-by-need approach |
✍️ Quick Tip: Choose your top 2–3 priorities and use them to help decide which retrofit package fits best. A comfort-focused upgrade might look different than a carbon-reduction plan — and that’s the point. Your retrofit should reflect your goals.
Heat pumps are the most cost-effective, all-in-one heating and cooling solution for most homes in the United States — even in cold climates. They're efficient, electric, and future-ready.
- ✅ Super-efficient — move 2–5× more heat than the electricity they consume
- ✅ Cold-climate ready — work down to -10°F or even -20°F
- ✅ Dual-purpose — one system for both heating and cooling
- ✅ Carbon-cutting — reduce emissions even in fossil-heavy grids
Electrification is the quickest path to big comfort gains, lower bills, and lower carbon. By replacing combustion equipment with efficient electric systems, you cut wasted energy right away—often 30–60%—and you’re ready to run on an increasingly clean grid.
- A safety-first sequence (fix urgent issues, verify ventilation)
- A shell-first plan (air seal & insulate so every upgrade performs better)
- Right-sized electrification (HP water heater, heat pump HVAC, panel readiness)
- Optional solar once the load is trimmed
- A short list of assumptions when a detail is missing—so you can review or update it
Same proven order, tailored to your house: seal & insulate → electrical readiness → heat pump water heater → heat pump HVAC → optional PV.
- ✅ Imagine exciting changes and enter them into the Green Home Score Predictor to generate an unofficial score
- ✅ Test different upgrade scenarios and see how your score changes
- ✅ Calculate cost, energy, and carbon savings from potential improvements