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**Check
here for the Seismic
Retrofit Transfer Tax Rebate if you are a new Berkeley homeowner.
You have one year from date of sale to complete work and file for a
rebate.
To check the
RECO status of a property, call 981-5435, or 981-7440.
NEW
NUMBER! For RECO
inspections (when RECO measures are completed:) Community
Energy Services Corporation , 510-981-7762
to schedule an energy audit for any sale or transfer of property.
Get FREE and
Low Cost help installing RECO measures, including attic insulation
with Rising
Sun Energy Center at 665-1501. These programs are subsidized by
the Public Utilities Commission.
RECO FORMS
Scroll down to the
bottom of the page for explanations of forms.
When
does RECO apply: All homes or apartment buildings sold or
transferred, or undergoing renovations with a combined permit value of $50,000 or more must
comply with RECO. All
homes sold or substantially renovated must demonstrate compliance with
these requirements by being inspected and filing "Form A -
Certificate of RECO Compliance" with the City of Berkeley.
The
Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance was adopted to improve
the energy and water efficiency of existing housing in the City of
Berkeley. It is meant to help
insulate residents from energy price increases by reducing the amount of
energy used for heat, hot water, and lighting.
SAFETY NOTE: "Knob and Tube" wiring in
older homes: if your home has
"knob and tube" wiring in the attic, you must have
a licensed electrician inspect the wiring prior to installing any attic
insulation, and certify that the wiring is safe to insulate around.
This written certification must be submitted with your RECO Form
A and $15 payment to the City Building and Safety Division. Existing
insulation that meets the current RECO code is exempt. However, if
additional insulation is needed to bring the current level of insulation
into compliance, an inspection and written certification is required.
Wiring that fails a safety inspection
should never be insulated. Doing so could cause a
catastrophic fire, threatening the lives of those in the home.
Upgrade poor wiring, including junction boxes and splices that may
overheat if surrounded with insulation.
!!
Never
use foil-faced batts or metal supports if knob and tube wiring is present;
to do so could cause arcing, short-circuiting, and/or fire.
Live/Work
vs. Work/Live Determinations:
Studios, lofts and live-in spaces that are 1,500 square feet or
less are considered residential housing, and must also comply with RECO.
Spaces larger than 1,500 square feet are exempt from RECO, but must
comply with the Commercial Energy Conservation Ordinance (CECO). Call 510-981-5435 for information, or visit the
CECO page for
compliance information.
A
Brief Explanation of RECO
Requirements and Savings Amounts
based on current energy prices and are subject to change.
-
Toilets -- 1.6 gal/flush, or
flow reduction devices;$25 to $100 rebate on
low-flow toilets available through EBMUD (510-287-1900 for an
application); devices save $3.50/year on water bills.
-
Showerheads -- 3.0 gal./minute
flow rate; saves $10.00-$52.00/year per unit
installed.
Available free from EBMUD.
-
Faucet
aerators -- 2.75 gal./minute
flow rate for kitchens and bathrooms; saves
~$4.00/year per unit installed. Available free
from EBMUD.
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Water heater
blankets -- Insulation
wrap of R-12 value; saves $12.00- $66.00/year
-
Hot & Cold Water Piping --
Insulate the first two feet from the heater to R-3 value; saves
$10.00- $70.00/year
-
Hot Water Piping in Pumped,
Re-circulating Heating Systems --
Insulate all pipes to R-3 value;
saves $10.00 - $70.00/year
-
Exterior Door Weatherstripping
-- Permanently affix weather stripping, and door sweeps or door shoes;
saves $10.00 - $70.00/year PER DOOR.
-
Furnace duct work -- Seal duct
joints add insulation wrap to R-3 value; saves
$88.00+/year
-
Fireplace chimneys -- Must
have dampers, doors or closures; saves
$165.00+/year
-
Ceiling insulation --
Insulate to R-30 value or greater; saves $280.00+ /year
SEE SAFETY NOTE ABOVE.
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Common Area Lighting
(multi-unit buildings) -- Replace incandescent bulbs with compact
fluorescent lamps (CFL) of at least 25 lumens; these cost $10-15 each,
but last up to 10,000 hours versus 750 hours for incandescent
bulbs. Payback period is 6-10 months at current electricity
rates. CFLs will save up to
75% year off the lighting portion of your electricity costs.
A 20-watt CFL is equivalent to a 75-watt incandescent bulb in
output. Use a CFL that is 1/4 the watts of the bulb you are
replacing to keep the light levels the same. Hate fluorescent bulbs?
In the case of renovations, RECO compliance is the
responsibility of the applicant for the building permit (generally the
property owner). RECO inspection and documentation for renovation
work is done through the normal building inspection process.
RECO
Spending Limits
There is a limit to the amount of money that
must
be spent to meet RECO upgrades. You need not spend more than:
-
0.75% of the
final property sales
price when a single structure of two housing units or less is sold;
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0.75% of the
final property sales
price for each structure when a property with more than one structure
of two housing units or less is sold;
-
$0.50 per square foot when
any one structure with three or more housing units is sold; or
-
1% of renovation costs when
a property is undergoing a renovation of $50,000 of more.
Getting
the RECO Work Done
FREE and Low Cost help installing RECO measures
is available, including attic insulation through the non-profit Rising
Sun Energy Center at 665-1501. Their programs are subsidized
by the Public Utilities Commission.
You
may also use your own contractor, or do the RECO work yourself to comply
with the ordinance. Most of the measures are fairly simple to
do. Check with the online Compliance Guide linked above for
tips on these measures.
Scheduling
a RECO Inspection
You must set up your own
inspection. Berkeley's sole authorized RECO inspection company is:
Community Energy Services Corporation (CESC)
1013 Pardee St.,
Berkeley, CA 94710
Telephone: 510-981-7762
-
For a Sale of Property:
call CESC at 510-981-7762 to schedule an
appointment.
-
For a Renovation of a
Property: call the City's Building
& Safety Office at 510-981-7440 weekdays. City building
inspectors will incorporate the RECO inspection into the comprehensive
building code compliance inspection.
Inspections can generally be performed within three- to
five-days of your call.
Inspection
and Filing Costs
-
For a Sale of Property:
the cost for an initial RECO inspection is $100 for a
single-family
unit, with an extra $50 for each additional unit.
-
For a Renovation of a
Property: the initial RECO inspection fee is included in the
City's construction permit fees.
If your building does not receive approval on the first
inspection, you will have to rectify the non-complying items and schedule
a re-inspection. A re-inspection costs $50 for a single-family
unit, with an extra $25 for each additional unit.
Once the building has passed the RECO inspections, you
will receive a "Form A- Certificate of RECO Compliance,"
which must be filed at a cost of $15 with the City of Berkeley at :
City of
Berkeley
Permit
Service Center
2120 Milvia
Street
Berkeley,
CA 94704
For more information on other energy-saving
measures, contact:
City of
Berkeley Housing Department
Energy
Office
2180
Milvia Street, 2nd. Floor
Berkeley, CA
94704
Tel.
510-981-5435
or email
us
RECO
Form B: Buyer/Seller Warranty and Agent
Notification
When
to use Form B:
If
a property has previously met RECO compliance (since 1987), and still has
all RECO measure in place (door weatherstripping, low-flow toilets, etc.)
then the Seller can use Form B at the point of sale or transfer as a
warranty that the building is currently RECO compliant.
The
Seller’s Agent should also sign the form as part of the notification
that both Seller and Buyer understand that all RECO measures are either in
place, or not in place, as may be the case.
To
find out if in fact a building is in compliance with RECO, the Buyer or
agent may contact the City’s Building and Safety Department at 981-7440.
Listen for the RECO option, and the give the Building and Safety
staff the address of the property to look up.
The City maintains records for each residential property in
Berkeley.
RECO
Form C: Transferring Responsibility
for RECO compliance to Buyer
If
a property is not in RECO compliance, and the responsibility for
compliance has not been transferred previously, then the Seller may chose
to transfer RECO compliance to the Buyer.
If the Buyer accepts responsibility, then Form C must be signed by
both Seller and Buyer, and must be filed with the City of Berkeley.
RECO
Form D: Escrow
Accounts for RECO
When
to use Form D:
If
a Seller wishes to transfer RECO compliance to the Buyer, and RECO
compliance has not already been transferred previously, then an Escrow
account may be established with funds (0.75% of the final sale price) set
aside for the Buyer to use toward RECO compliance, to be done within one
year.
If RECO funds are not depleted within one year, remaining funds
revert to the Seller.
Updated
October 9, 2007
Text-Only Sidebar / City of Berkeley Home / Departments
/ Housing Department Home / Energy
and Sustainable Development
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Housing/Energy and
Sustainable Development
2120 Milvia Street, 2nd Floor Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 981-7439
TDD: (510) 981-7474
Email: Energy@ci.berkeley.ca.us |
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