Lamont wants power costs for homes, apartments to be more accessible
Gov. Ned Lamont is proposing legislation that will provide homeowners and renters information about their energy costs.
The key elements of Senate Bill 822 are provisions that would require landlords and those selling their homes to provide buyers and renters with a year’s worth of energy bills or submit the property to a specialized scoring system that rates energy efficiency. Katie Dykes, commissioner of the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said five other states already have similar provisions.
“It provides transparency so that people understand not just what the purchase price or the rent will be, but also what the cost of heating or powering it will be,” Dykes said. “This will insure that folks out there looking for a home are going to be armed with the best information.”
Connecticut residents are paying $3,600 a year in energy costs on average, she said.
Brenda Watson, executive director of Hartford-based Operation
Fuel, said if approved the legislation “will educate the everyday consumer about energy efficiency.”
“This concept is no different than being able to obtain a Carfax report or miles per gallon report when car shopping,” Watson said.
Even before the arrival of COVID-19, more than 400,000 Connecticut household were at risk of not being able their utility bills, she said.
Watson said requiring energy bills to be made available to home buyers and renters could encourage landlords and home sellers to undertake efficiency improvement measures.
Lamont said “it seems pretty basic that you know the energy costs” before buying a home or renting an apartment.
“That way, you have a more educated consumer, a smarter buyer,” he said.
State Rep. Geraldo Reyes, DWaterbury, said paying utility bills is the No. 1 cause of homelessness in the state.