Energy efficient mortgage

Last updated

An energy efficient mortgage (EEM) (or "green mortgage") [1] is a loan product that allows borrowers to reduce their utility bill costs by allowing them to finance the cost of improving the energy-efficiency of the real estate property, at the point of the house purchase or the refinancing of existing housing. [2] In practice, energy efficient mortgages can take the form of a standard mortgage (which includes the cost of house purchase and the renovation) or a second mortgage which covers only the cost of the renovation.

First introduced in 1980, EEMs are currently sponsored by all mortgage programs insured by the U.S. federal government. To date, the popularity of the product has been somewhat limited: The New York Times estimates less than 1% of all U.S. home loans are EEMs. [3]

In the European Union, the Energy Efficient Mortgage Initiative has developed an industry-led label, which is currently being used by 37 banks. [4] [5] [6] its definition requires loans to enable an energy efficiency improvement of at least 30%, which is aligned with the EU Taxonomy of sustainable activities. [7] The European Commission has announced it will consider promoting green loans and green mortgages in the coming months as part of its sustainable finance action plan. [8]

Several studies have found evidence of a correlation between energy efficiency and credit risk, meaning that borrowers of a green mortgages are less likely to fall into insolvency. [9] [10] [11] The banking industry argues that such evidence justifies both a reduction in the interest rate for consumers, [12] but also a reduction in the amount of capital banks have to set aside under prudential regulation, the so-called "green supporting factor". The European Banking Authority is currently studying whether prudential rules should be adjusted to reflect this. [13]

Borrowers who qualify for an EEM usually need to complete a home inspection by an energy rater working off qualification standards created by the U.S. Department of Energy. The results of this energy audit can then be used when applying for an EEM. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Housing Administration</span> U.S. government agency responsible for mortgage insurance

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), also known as the Office of Housing within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is a United States government agency founded by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, established in part by the National Housing Act of 1934. Its primary function is to provide insurance for mortgages originated by private lenders for various types of properties, including single-family homes, multifamily rental properties, hospitals, and residential care facilities. FHA mortgage insurance serves to safeguard these private lenders from financial losses. In the event that a property owner defaults on their mortgage, FHA steps in to compensate the lender for the outstanding principal balance.

In economics, a moral hazard is a situation where an economic actor has an incentive to increase its exposure to risk because it does not bear the full costs of that risk. For example, when a corporation is insured, it may take on higher risk knowing that its insurance will pay the associated costs. A moral hazard may occur where the actions of the risk-taking party change to the detriment of the cost-bearing party after a financial transaction has taken place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fannie Mae</span> Government-backed financial services company

The Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), commonly known as Fannie Mae, is a United States government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) and, since 1968, a publicly traded company. Founded in 1938 during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal, the corporation's purpose is to expand the secondary mortgage market by securitizing mortgage loans in the form of mortgage-backed securities (MBS), allowing lenders to reinvest their assets into more lending and in effect increasing the number of lenders in the mortgage market by reducing the reliance on locally based savings and loan associations. Its brother organization is the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), better known as Freddie Mac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savings and loan association</span> Type of financial institution

A savings and loan association (S&L), or thrift institution, is a financial institution that specializes in accepting savings deposits and making mortgage and other loans. The terms "S&L" and "thrift" are mainly used in the United States; similar institutions in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries include building societies and trustee savings banks. They are often mutually held, meaning that the depositors and borrowers are members with voting rights, and have the ability to direct the financial and managerial goals of the organization like the members of a credit union or the policyholders of a mutual insurance company. While it is possible for an S&L to be a joint-stock company, and even publicly traded, in such instances it is no longer truly a mutual association, and depositors and borrowers no longer have membership rights and managerial control. By law, thrifts can have no more than 20 percent of their lending in commercial loans—their focus on mortgage and consumer loans makes them particularly vulnerable to housing downturns such as the deep one the U.S. experienced in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortgage-backed security</span> Type of asset-backed security

A mortgage-backed security (MBS) is a type of asset-backed security which is secured by a mortgage or collection of mortgages. The mortgages are aggregated and sold to a group of individuals that securitizes, or packages, the loans together into a security that investors can buy. Bonds securitizing mortgages are usually treated as a separate class, termed residential; another class is commercial, depending on whether the underlying asset is mortgages owned by borrowers or assets for commercial purposes ranging from office space to multi-dwelling buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KfW</span> German state-owned investment and development bank

The KfW, which together with its subsidiaries DEG, KfW IPEX-Bank and FuB forms the KfW Bankengruppe, is a German state-owned investment and development bank, based in Frankfurt. As of 2014, it is the world's largest national development bank and as of 2018 Germany's third largest bank by balance sheet. Its name originally comes from Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau. It was formed in 1948 after World War II as part of the Marshall Plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation</span> Canadian national housing agency

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is Canada's federal crown corporation responsible for administering the National Housing Act, with the mandate to improve housing by living conditions in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second mortgage</span>

Second mortgages, commonly referred to as junior liens, are loans secured by a property in addition to the primary mortgage. Depending on the time at which the second mortgage is originated, the loan can be structured as either a standalone second mortgage or piggyback second mortgage. Whilst a standalone second mortgage is opened subsequent to the primary loan, those with a piggyback loan structure are originated simultaneously with the primary mortgage. With regard to the method in which funds are withdrawn, second mortgages can be arranged as home equity loans or home equity lines of credit. Home equity loans are granted for the full amount at the time of loan origination in contrast to home equity lines of credit which permit the homeowner access to a predetermined amount which is repaid during the repayment period.

A non-performing loan (NPL) is a bank loan that is subject to late repayment or is unlikely to be repaid by the borrower in full. Non-performing loans represent a major challenge for the banking sector, as they reduce profitability. They are often claimed to prevent banks from lending more to businesses and consumers, which in turn slows economic growth, although this theory is disputed.

A mortgage bank is a bank that specializes in originating and/or servicing mortgage loans. In the United States, a mortgage bank is a state-licensed banking entity that makes mortgage loans directly to consumers. The difference between a mortgage banker and a mortgage broker is that the mortgage banker funds loans with its own capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethical banking</span> Bank concerned with the social and environmental impacts of its investments and loans

An ethical bank, also known as a social, alternative, civic, or sustainable bank, is a bank concerned with the social and environmental impacts of its investments and loans. The ethical banking movement includes: ethical investment, impact investment, socially responsible investment, corporate social responsibility, and is also related to such movements as the fair trade movement, ethical consumerism, and social enterprise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Mortgage Federation</span>

The European Mortgage Federation (EMF) was established in 1967. Through its work the Federation has become the key-talking partner of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Central Bank, the European System of Financial Supervisors and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision on all questions relating to the European mortgage industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortgage</span> Loan secured using real estate

A mortgage loan or simply mortgage, in civil law jurisdictions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any purpose while putting a lien on the property being mortgaged. The loan is "secured" on the borrower's property through a process known as mortgage origination. This means that a legal mechanism is put into place which allows the lender to take possession and sell the secured property to pay off the loan in the event the borrower defaults on the loan or otherwise fails to abide by its terms. The word mortgage is derived from a Law French term used in Britain in the Middle Ages meaning "death pledge" and refers to the pledge ending (dying) when either the obligation is fulfilled or the property is taken through foreclosure. A mortgage can also be described as "a borrower giving consideration in the form of a collateral for a benefit (loan)".

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is the European Union's main legislative instrument aiming to promote the improvement of the energy performance of buildings within the European Union. It was inspired by the Kyoto Protocol which commits the EU and all its parties by setting binding emission reduction targets.

PACE financing is a means used in the United States of America of financing energy efficiency upgrades, disaster resiliency improvements, water conservation measures, or renewable energy installations in existing or new construction of residential, commercial, and industrial property owners. Depending on state legislation, PACE financing can be used to finance water efficiency products, seismic retrofits, resiliency, and other measures with social benefits.

Public plans for energy efficient refurbishment are put in place by states to encourage building owners to renovate their properties in a way that increases their energy performance. As financing represents the most important obstacle to this type of renovation, the plans favour financial incentives in the form of loans or grants. Various institutions can be involved in the process, such as ministries, banks, firms, or energy services companies (ESCOs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Green Deal</span> Plan to transform the EU into a climate-neutral economy by 2050

The European Green Deal, approved in 2020, is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making the European Union (EU) climate neutral in 2050. The plan is to review each existing law on its climate merits, and also introduce new legislation on the circular economy, building renovation, biodiversity, farming and innovation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Markets Union</span> European economic policy initiative

The Capital Markets Union (CMU) is an economic policy initiative launched by the former president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Junker in the initial exposition of his policy agenda on 15 July 2014. The main target was to create a single market for capital in the whole territory of the EU by the end of 2019. The reasoning behind the idea was to address the issue that corporate finance relies on debt (i.e. bank loans) and the fact that capital markets in Europe were not sufficiently integrated so as to protect the EU and especially the Eurozone from future crisis. The Five Presidents Report of June 2015 proposed the CMU in order to complement the Banking union of the European Union and eventually finish the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) project. The CMU is supposed to attract 2000 billion dollars more on the European capital markets, on the long-term.

Sustainable finance is the set of financial regulations, standards, norms and products that pursue an environmental objective. It allows the financial system to connect with the economy and its populations by financing its agents while maintaining a growth objective. The long-standing concept was promoted with the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement, which stipulates that parties must make "finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development." In addition, sustainable finance had already a key role to play in the European Green Deal and in other EU International agreements, but since the COVID-19 pandemic its role is even more important.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EU taxonomy for sustainable activities</span> Classification system established to clarify investments that are economically suitable

The EU taxonomy for sustainable activities is a classification system established to clarify which economic activities are environmentally sustainable, in the context of the European Green Deal. The aim of the taxonomy is to prevent greenwashing and to help investors make informed sustainable investment decisions. The Taxonomy covers activities contributing to six environmental objectives: climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, the transition to a circular economy, pollution prevention and control, sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources, and protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems. The Taxonomy came into force in July 2020. The UK is working on its own separate taxonomy.

References

  1. "How to cultivate a 'green mortgage'". NBC News . 25 April 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  2. ""'Green mortgages' taking root," The Boston Globe" . Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  3. Tedeschi, Bob (10 September 2006). "Saving Both Money and Energy" . Retrieved 15 November 2023 via NYTimes.com.
  4. Simon, Frédéric (24 September 2018). "More banks join EU-backed pilot scheme for green mortgages". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  5. "Issuer directory :: EEM Label". www.energy-efficient-mortgage-label.org. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  6. Norton, Hannah (27 October 2021). "Green mortgages to help EU achieve climate goals". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. EEMI Definition energyefficientmortgages.eu
  8. Simon, Frédéric (30 June 2021). "Draft EU plan outlines regulatory roadmap for green finance". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  9. "New report: Final Report on Risk Assessment". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  10. Cespedes-Lopez, Maria-Francisca; Mora-Garcia, Raul-Tomas; Perez-Sanchez, V. Raul; Perez-Sanchez, Juan-Carlos (January 2019). "Meta-Analysis of Price Premiums in Housing with Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)". Sustainability. 11 (22): 6303. doi: 10.3390/su11226303 . hdl: 10045/98939 . ISSN   2071-1050.
  11. Fizaine, Florian; Voye, Pierre; Baumont, Catherine (2018). "Les études hédoniques soutiennent-elles une valeur verte élevée dans le bâtiment ? Une réponse par la méta-analyse". Revue d'Économie Politique (in French).
  12. Crisp, James (15 June 2016). "Homeowners offered cheaper mortgages in return for energy efficiency renovations". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  13. "Discussion paper on the role of environmental risks in the prudential framework". European Banking Authority . 2 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  14. ”Energy-efficient mortgage offers savings,” The Olympian (McClatchy-Tribune News Service) [ permanent dead link ]