OPINION | Sensible incentives: Enabling energy efficiency in rental housing

In an age of climbing expenses, we all look for ways to save money. Energy efficiency is routinely highlighted as the most cost-effective way to save energy and expenses. However, if you are one of over 1 million Minnesotans who rent their living space, there are significant barriers to saving on energy bills: The appliances in the unit you rent.

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Chances are your appliances are not energy efficient because there is no incentive for the owner of the property to upgrade an expensive appliance when the direct benefit from the savings won’t help the company bottom line. This is referred to as a split-incentive.

Most appliances in rental properties are electric and the cost of running them falls to the renter as an often hidden cost. For example, a refrigerator runs every moment of the lease and they are the largest single end-user of electricity in rental housing at 20 percent. Cost can add up quickly.

Sensible Incentives: Enabling Energy Efficiency in Rental Housing examines the potential energy and cost savings from the replacement of old, inefficient refrigerators with new, energy efficient refrigerators. Preliminary estimates suggest that replacing the nearly 88,000 refrigerators over 10 years of age in Minnesota rental properties would save renters well over a staggering $3.7 million a year.

This is a modest proposal. It isn’t political, or even urgent, but it is something we can start working on together to move Minnesota forward. Statistics reveal that many renters in the state are interested in energy saving appliances. Utility companies have money reserved to aid in creating programs for customers and property owners are interested in meeting the desires of existing and potential clients.

Sensible Incentives makes three recommendations for policy makers to improve the energy efficiency performance of rental housing in Minnesota:

• Customized Conservation Improvement Programs targeting large rental property owners, including rebates for replacement of old, inefficient refrigerators.
• Mandate public energy use disclosure for apartment buildings.
• A pilot PAYS®-based On-Bill Financing Program for appliance upgrades serving rental housing.

For appendix and methodology, please see the online supplement.