As wintertime approaches and those bigger heating bills are looming, potential homeowners might be thinking about how much it could cost to live inside their dream home.
UtilityScore’s platform gives consumers an idea of what the utility costs in their new home might be, and the home search site REcolorado.com has now wrapped UtilityScore into its platform.
“REcolorado is pleased to be Colorado’s first MLS to offer today’s savvy homebuyers a tool that will help them assess and plan for the lifetime cost of a property before they purchase,” said Kirby Slunaker, president and CEO of REcolorado, in a press release.
“UtilityScore is also a tool real estate agents can use to help their clients see beyond a property’s list price and consider projected utility costs before they buy.”
The My UtilityScore widget on REcolorado.com.
To find a prospective home’s UtilityScore, buyers must search for their desired home and click on the “My UtilityScore” widget located on the right side of the screen.
From there, buyers will be taken to the UtilityScore site to view specific details about a home, such as the overall UtilityScore and estimated monthly and annual electric, gas and water bill costs.
A REcolorado.com listing’s UtilityScore.
Homes are rated on a score from 1 to 100, with 1 representing “very high utility bills” and 100 representing “very low utility bills.” To get a more personalized score, buyers can provide their family size, preferred thermostat settings, and whether the home will be occupied during the day.
“A property’s list price is only a part of the costs associated with homeownership,” said Brian Gitt, Founder and CEO of UtilityScore, in a statement.
“Utility bills can significantly impact your budget, but until now it’s been impossible to easily predict how much a specific home’s electric, natural gas, and water and sewer bills will be. With UtilityScore, house hunters can receive instant customized cost predictions based on local utility rates, personal usage habits, and home characteristics.”