Access incentives to build your new energy-efficient home

Access incentives to build your new energy-efficient home
If you’re building your own new home in Puget Sound Energy electric service territory, Next Level Homes may have incentives available to help offset the cost. Homes must meet the requirements for one of our two incentive pathways: Energy Credits+ or Certified Performance. Homes built on land owned by an income-qualified community land trust and/or properties on reservation land may be eligible for higher Building Opportunity incentives.

We encourage homeowners to first review the recommendations below and eligibility page, then get in touch with our team by submitting an interest form.

The best time to get started with Next Level Homes is early in the design phase, when you can easily make design changes to maximize your incentive with minimal impact on project budget. We strongly encourage you to reach out to our team as early as possible in the process of building a new home.

The Certified Performance pathway requires homes to be certified by a HERS Rater with ENERGY STAR or Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (DOEZERH). Due to ENERGY STAR and DOEZERH requirements, the decision to take this approach typically needs to be made early in the design process. Some homes that are nearly complete or already completed may still be eligible for the Energy Credits+ pathway if they were built to exceed Washington State Energy Code-Residential (WSEC-R) by at least 0.5 eligible code credits and/or include highly efficient home features. Visit the incentives page to view the complete list of eligible features.

A HERS Rater is an individual certified to inspect and test a home’s energy efficiency. They are part of the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) program. You or your builder may already be working with a HERS Rater for Washington State Energy Code-Residential (WSEC-R) compliance testing.

A HERS Rater can help you participate in Next Level Homes and ensure your home meets the requirements to receive incentives. Working with a HERS Rater is a good way to maximize your program incentive and have a smoother participation experience. If you choose the Certified Performance pathway, you are required to work with a HERS Rater because they will confirm the home meets ENERGY STAR or Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (DOEZERH) requirements. Keep in mind, HERS Raters charge a fee for their services, and Next Level Homes does not cover this cost.

We provide a HERS Rater directory that lists HERS Raters who are currently participating in the program. You can view the directory here. In many cases, your builder may have already hired a HERS Rater to evaluate the energy performance of your home. You can ask your builder to put you in contact with the HERS Rater to support your participation in Next Level Homes.

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Learn about eligibility

Find out if your home qualifies for Next Level Homes incentives. Visit our eligibility page to learn more.

Get in touch

Have questions or ready to get started? Submit an interest form to get in touch with our program team!