Agenda Packet 1-16-19 Work Session

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housing in Eugene as an issue of concern. According to 2015 US Census data, the gross cost of rental housing in Eugene, including utilities, is $851 per month. Energy costs are one piece of this cost that can be addressed through increased information and greater investment in the current building stock. Relation to Climate Recovery Ordinance The City of Eugene Council adopted the Climate Recovery Ordinance (CRO) in 2014 which was later amended in 2016. The CRO established targets and benchmarks including a community- wide 50 percent reduction in fossil fuel usage of 2010 levels by 2030. To achieve CRO targets and benchmarks, all sectors in Eugene including housing will need to reduce fossil fuel usage. One of the large contributors to GHG emissions in Eugene is home heating, including heating water. In 2015 residential natural gas use represented approximately 7% of the Eugene's Scope 1 emissions (Eugene's 2015 GHG Inventory - market-based Electricity accounting methodology). Reducing energy use in buildings is an important step in reducing the City’s overall GHG emissions that can be achieved while also lowering costs. Currently, the City of Eugene is updating the 2010 Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP) which will identify actions that will be necessary for meeting CRO requirements. Eugene’s 2010 CEAP recommended the adoption of a Home Energy Score Policy, but it was never implemented. The updated CEAP is expected to be finalized by late 2018. Current Lack of Incentives Currently, there is little incentive for property owners to improve energy efficiency in rental units. Electricity is almost always paid by the tenants, who have little access to information about likely costs prior to renting, and many energy efficiency improvements are not easily visible to prospective renters, limiting property owners ability to market the added value. A home energy score program would provide information to prospective renters and buyers on energy efficiency, allowing them to make better decisions, while providing owners with an incentive to make improvements prior to posting a unit for rent or sale. Additional Actions The Commission also recommends that EWEB develop a system in which prospective renters can obtain information on historic electricity consumption at a rental unit. We acknowledge that there are likely privacy issues related to disclosing this kind of information. However, there may be ways to convey this kind of information while protecting the privacy of previous tenants. January 16, 2019, Work Session - Item 2