HUD Delays Energy Requirement

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On November 7, 2025, NAHB issued a press release noting that HUD announced a six-month delay in the compliance date for energy-code mandates tied to “the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and ASHRAE 90.1‑2019” as minimum standards for eligible single-fam­ily and multifamily housing programs. National Association of Home Builders NAHB’s Chair described the prior determination as “stringent,” raising construction cost concerns and potentially limiting financing and affordability. National Association of Home Builders

Why this matters for Home Energy Ratings, energy inspectors/raters/verifiers and building-science professionals

  1. Strategic timing for code adoption plans
    The delay gives jurisdictions and industry players breathing room. For Home Energy Ratings and energy modelers, it means the anticipated immediate jump to 2021 IECC/ASHRAE 90.1-2019 is deferred, changing timeline assumptions for upgrades, training, tools and certification-readiness.
  2. Impacts on modeling, verification and inspection demand
    With stricter mandates on pause, immediate demand for verification and compliance services may shift or stagger. Energy inspectors and verifiers should assess how their offerings map to current mandates vs. future adoption cycles. In short: a recalibration of business-planning horizons.
  3. Affordability & buildability context
    The industry’s focus on cost and financing aligns with building science professionals’ role in delivering energy-efficient yet cost-conscious solutions. If regulatory pressure abates temporarily, the value proposition shifts to: how do we proactively push performance beyond code while maintaining cost-effectiveness?
  4. Opportunity to influence future code / standard revisions
    With the delay, stakeholders have additional runway to engage with code committees, jurisdictions and developers. Home Energy Verifiers and energy-modeling firms can leverage this moment to position themselves as trusted advisors — advocating for feasible high-performance solutions and influencing how future mandates are shaped.

What Home Energy Rating Systems Council members should be doing now

  • Review your business assumptions: Does your service model assume an immediate transition to 2021 IECC or ASHRAE 90.1-2019? If so, how will this shift affect your pipeline, training needs, tool investments and go-to-market messaging?
  • Engage your jurisdictional contacts: Reach out to local building officials, code-adoption committees and developers to understand how the delay is being handled at the state/local level. Some jurisdictions may still move ahead independently or at a different pace.
  • Refresh your value proposition: Rather than only framing your services around “compliance for the next code cycle,” emphasize how HERS raters and energy-performance verifiers deliver value today — through comfort, indoor-air quality, system effectiveness and long-term energy savings.
  • Prepare for the next wave: Use the delay strategically to advance your capabilities — e.g., training in enhanced modeling, improving documentation workflows, leveraging thermal-imaging or blower-door verification, and aligning your services with the stretch-code / beyond-code markets that jurisdictions may adopt.
  • Advocate and educate: The built-environment community is watching. As a HERS Council member, contribute your voice: write white papers, participate in roundtables, share case-studies of performance projects, and help shape the narrative around the cost vs. benefit of code-upgrades.

In summary

This isn’t just a “delay” — it’s a re-shift in how energy-code adoption will play out across the residential built-environment. For those in the Home Energy Rating ecosystem, it’s a chance to pivot from reactive compliance-chasing to proactive performance-leadership. The landscape is changing — and those who embrace this moment will position themselves as strategic partners for builders, developers, officials and homeowners alike.

Let’s use this pause to accelerate our thinking, strengthen our skills and raise the bar for what energy-performance in homes really means.

#EnergyEfficiency #BuildingScience #ResidentialConstruction #IECC #ASHRAE901 #EnergyModels #BuildingPerformance #AffordableHousing