You Will Like Making Energy Efficiency Upgrades.

Attention Austin homeowners: you will like making energy efficiency upgrades, but if you don't, You Will Like Making Energy Efficiency Upgrades.

According to the article in the recent edition of Community Impact newspaper, The Energy Effeciency Upgrades Task Force is completing plans for a City Council ordinance that will require home sellers to secure an energy audit for potential home buyers. Following the audit, home sellers or buyers can make upgrades recommended in the audit. Austin Energy plans to continue its energy efficiency financial incentives, and the upgrades are supposed to pay for themselves in energy savings.

So far so good. Although I can't see why the energy audit can't be simply included in the home inspection that's already required, I expect most home buyers would welcome a report on the energy efficiency of the house they are considering. Following the audit, buyers and sellers could negotiate what upgrades each party will be willing to undertake, if any. Financial incentives from Austin Engery and the savings on utility bills should be motivation enough to make this work.

But here's the rub: if incentives and savings aren't enough to get enough homeowners to participate, the voluntary elements become mandatory. In other words, should the ordinance be proposed and passed in it present form, homeowners will have two choices when it comes to energy efficiency upgrades: you are going to like them or You Are Going to Like Them.

Yikes.