Section 25942.

(a) On or before July 1, 1995, the commission shall establish criteria for adopting a statewide home energy rating program for residential dwellings. The program criteria shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following elements:

(1) Consistent, accurate, and uniform ratings based on a single statewide rating scale.

(2) Reasonable estimates of potential utility bill savings, and reliable recommendations on cost-effective measures to improve energy efficiency.

(3) Training and certification procedures for home raters and quality assurance procedures to promote accurate ratings and to protect consumers.

(4) In coordination with home energy rating service organization data bases, procedures to establish a centralized, publicly accessible, data base that includes a uniform reporting system for information on residential dwellings, excluding proprietary information, needed to facilitate the program. There shall be no public access to information in the data base concerning specific dwellings without the owner's or occupant's permission.

(5) Labeling procedures that will meet the needs of home buyers, homeowners, renters, the real estate industry, and mortgage lenders with an interest in home energy ratings.

(b) The commission shall adopt the program pursuant to subdivision (a) in consultation with representatives of the Department of Real Estate, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Public Utilities Commission, investor-owned and municipal utilities, cities and counties, real estate licensees, home builders, mortgage lenders, home appraisers and inspectors, home energy rating organizations, contractors who provide home energy services, consumer groups, and environmental groups.

(c) On and after January 1, 1996, no home energy rating services may be performed in this state unless the services have been certified, if such a certification program is available, by the commission to be in compliance with the program criteria specified in subdivision (a) and, in addition, are in conformity with any other applicable element of the program.

(d) On or before July 1, 1996, the commission shall consult with the agencies and organizations described in subdivision (b), to facilitate a public information program to inform homeowners, rental property owners, renters, sellers, and others of the existence of the statewide home energy rating program adopted by the commission.

(e) Beginning with the 1998 biennial energy conservation report required by Section 25401.1, the commission shall, as part of that biennial report, report on the progress made to implement a statewide home energy rating program. The report shall include an evaluation of the energy savings attributable to the program, and a recommendation concerning which means and methods will be most efficient and cost-effective to induce home energy ratings for residential dwellings.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 553, Sec. 19. Effective January 1, 1995.)