A feature on RealEstate.com.au that was featured last year may give solar power system owners who are selling their homes an advantage over other competing listed properties as reported by Energy Matters.
The Energy Scores feature was launched in November of last year and provided prospective property buyers and tenants an idea of how energy-efficient listed homes are. The Energy Score feature can be viewed here.
The website has been the first port of call for many prospective home buyers and renters in Australia and the website attracts more than 3 million visitors each month.
According to Henry Ruiz, REA Group Chief Digital Officer, Energy Scores may offer deeper insights into the energy efficiency of a property, helping home buyers make more educated decisions on their next possible house purchase or even improve the value of the home they already have.
Based on a survey by realestate.com.au, 76% of users are concerned about the cost of electricity and 79% of them are actively implementing energy efficiency strategies. In the 2014 survey, 75% of renters said that they would be prepared to pay additional rent in a home with solar energy, with 2 out of 5 willing to pay an extra $10 per week.
Although solar power may be providing vendors with an advantage over non-solar owners, the availability of battery systems and other smart home technologies will further boost home scores if RealEstate.com.au adds these as an essential factor in the future.