Item 4a-Amend the ECAD Rules to Provide Recognition for Efficient Rental Units-Draft_Lanetta Cooper — original pdf

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Recommendation Number ____ Amend the ECAD Rules to Provide Recognition for efficient rental units Recommendation: The ECAD Rules should be amended to establish an award or official recognition that the multi-family facility is in the top 5% or 10% of energy efficiency based on the energy efficiency rankings.. Targeted Underserved Group: Low and moderate-income renters Time Schedule: Implement in 2015 Budget Impact: none Brief Description: Amending the ECAD Rules to provide recognition for apartments that are within the top 5 or 10% of energy efficiency rankings would allow Landlords to market the award. It creates a positive inducement without any real cost to AE. Community Need: A majority of Austin residents rent and renters disproportionally have lower incomes than homeowners. Rental properties, particularly those with lower rents are often not very energy efficient. Landlords have little incentive to improve energy efficiency at their properties because it’s the tenants who pay the electric bills. . Consumers should be provided the information they need to make an educated decision about where to live. Providing a marketing tool to Landlords showing the facility has very high energy efficiency would provide easily understood information to perspective tenants about the efficiency of the facility. Program Description: This recommendation is creating an award or such other official recognition for Landlords whose facilities are at the high end of energy efficiency. It creates a marketing opportunity for the Landlords and therefore creates an incentive to be energy efficient.