Urban Earth Building Performance Tool

Building MPG Calculator

Turn utility data into a clear energy performance score for buyers, sellers, and realtors. The calculator reports a property's Energy Use Intensity (EUI) — how much energy it uses per square foot each year — then compares that number to climate zone and vintage benchmarks from EIA RECS data.

Building MPG Score — kBtu per square foot per year · EUI ↓ Lower is better

Enter property data to score

Property Inputs

Use 12 months of utility data when available. Estimated data works for a quick screen.

Property name

Location / address

IECC climate zone

Year built

Major retrofit year, optional

Building type

Conditioned floor area, sf

Annual utility use

Electricity, annual kWh

Electric rate, $ per kWh

Natural gas, annual therms

Gas rate, $ per therm

Benchmark settings

Primary benchmark

Manual benchmark EUI, kBtu/sf/yr

Building MPG Result

Measured performance first. Climate zone context second.

Building MPG Score · Measured EUI · ↓ Lower is better — kBtu / sf / year — enter data to calculate

Vintage benchmark — —

Size benchmark — —

Annual utility cost $0 estimated from entered rates

Utility cost per sf $0.00 per square foot per year

Want to improve this score? Urban Earth helps owners, buyers, and project teams identify envelope, HVAC, ventilation, and retrofit strategies that reduce energy use while improving comfort and indoor air quality. Contact us at dkomet@urbanearth.us

Copy-ready listing language

What is EUI? EUI (Energy Use Intensity) measures how much energy a building uses per square foot each year, expressed in kBtu per square foot. It works like a miles-per-gallon score for buildings: a lower number means a more efficient home, regardless of its size. Because energy demand varies by climate and construction era, this calculator compares your result to regional benchmarks from EIA survey data rather than a single national average.

Electricity

Annual kWh × 3.412 = annual kBtu.

Natural gas

Annual therms × 100 = annual kBtu.

EUI

Total annual kBtu ÷ square feet = kBtu/sf/year.

Disclaimer & scope of this tool This calculator measures operational energy use only — specifically electricity and natural gas consumed at the meter. It does not assess comfort, indoor air quality, durability, solar or on-site generation, embodied carbon, code compliance, or formal energy ratings (such as HERS, ENERGY STAR, or Passive House). Benchmark values are derived from EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS 2020) public microdata, segmented by IECC climate zone, construction vintage, and conditioned floor area. They represent survey-weighted regional averages and should be treated as screening benchmarks, not formal certifications. Results depend entirely on the accuracy of entered utility data. Confirm with project-specific data and a qualified energy professional before making performance claims in marketing materials, appraisals, or financing applications.