Calculate and Present the Benefits of Investing in ENERGY STAR Certified Homes Using HomeCalc

EPA has re-released HomeCalc, a tool that assists ENERGY STAR Homes partners in calculating and presenting the benefits of investing in an ENERGY STAR certified home. With this computer program it’s easy to show in a matter of minutes how ENERGY STAR certified homes that deliver better comfort and protect the environment can cost less to own.

In an easy-to-understand format, users input a homebuyer’s annual income, monthly debt, and down payment along with purchase price, utility bills and mortgage information for a standard home and an ENERGY STAR certified home. Based on this information, HomeCalc can easily show:

  • How the utility bill savings from investing in an ENERGY STAR certified home can outweigh small increases in the mortgage payment, leaving the homebuyer with extra money in their pocket every month;
  • How monthly cost savings can be used to buy more home upgrades — on kitchen cabinets or carpet, for example;
  • How ENERGY STAR homes are affordable under various mortgage options, including the Fannie Mae, FHA, VA and Freddie Mac Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs); and
  • The present value of the energy savings over time.

Users can print a summary screen with a home buyer’s name, customize HomeCalc to include their company logo, reference specific home models with their associated prices and utility bills, and highlight additional upgrade features that can be effectively financed by the monthly cash-flow savings.

Financial assumptions can also be easily customized including mortgage interest rate and terms. In addition, background assumptions used in various calculations can also be adjusted including income tax, real estate tax and private mortgage insurance rates; homeowner's insurance premiums; mortgage qualifier ratios; the projected value of the energy efficiency upgrade; the number of years a buyer anticipates living in the home; and the term and rate used to calculate the present value of the energy savings.

Minimum Requirements

The minimum system required for HomeCalc is Windows® 98. In addition you will need Microsoft® Word to view the program and need WinZip® to install the program. WinZip® can be downloaded free of charge from the WinZip® Home Page Exit ENERGY STAR.

Download Instructions

Begin downloading HomeCalc v2.1; save the self-extracting file to your desktop. Please note this file is 4 MB in size.

Download HomeCalc

Installation Instructions

  1. Double click on the file named “HomeCalv_v2_1_Installation_Files.exe”. A WinZip Self-Extractor window will appear.
  2. Specify which directory to unzip the HomeCalc installation files to, or use the displayed default directory, ‘C:/HomeCalcv2_1_Installation_Files’.
  3. Click the ‘Unzip’ button to extract the files to the specified directory. A message will appear informing you the files were unzipped successfully.
  4. Click ‘Ok’ on the message box, and then on ‘Close’ to close the WinZip Self-Extractor window.
  5. Locate the directory where you unzipped the HomeCalc v1.2 Installation Files, and double-click on the ‘setup.exe’ to launch the installation. The installation program will guide you through the rest of the installation process.

For feedback and questions regarding HomeCalc, email us at hotline@energystar.gov.