ECC-Rater vs the Former HERS Rater in 2026
An ECC-Rater and the former HERS rater are the same job under two names. On 1 January 2026 HERS raters were recognized as ECC-Raters and field verification moved into the Energy Code Compliance (ECC) Program. The tests, the registry and the certificates carried over, so mostly the wording on 2025 paperwork changed.
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The name changed, the certification did not
Under the ECC Program, HERS Providers became ECC-Providers and HERS raters became ECC-Raters. Active certifications stayed intact. A rater certified for the 2022 code counts as a 2022-certified ECC-Rater until finishing 2025 certification, and a rater who has not done so cannot perform 2025 field verification.
Where the old word still appears
- Earlier-cycle documents. The Energy Commission's ECC Program page says compliance documents from earlier code cycles keep their HERS terminology. A 2022 certificate that still says HERS is a 2022-cycle document, not an error under the ECC Program.
- 2025 forms. In 2025 software and forms, HERS wording was replaced with ECC or FV&DT (field verification and diagnostic testing). The HERS feature summary on a performance certificate is now the ECC feature summary.
- Company names. An ECC-Rater company may keep HERS in its business name. The Commission says mandated renaming would have been burdensome and suggests rebranding ahead of the 2028 code.
Reading an older certificate
The code in force when the permit was issued stays the applicable version. The Commission's own example: a 2022-compliant project is rated to 2022 standards by someone certified for 2022 or later. A 2022 CF3R that names a HERS rater (the role was renamed ECC-Rater in 2026) is simply a 2022-cycle document. The CF3R page explains what the form records.
What to call it, and one trap
Ask for an ECC-Rater; a contractor who says HERS rater means the same person under the former name. The trap is the whole-house rating. It stayed in the HERS Program, separate from ECC, produces a HERS Index, which is not an ECC field verification test (see Title 24 vs HERS Index). Registered certificates are for compliance only; other uses, such as federal tax credits, wait until the project is complete and closed in the registry.
For the role itself read what an ECC-Rater does, for the program what the ECC Program is, and to decide whether a job needs one when a residential project needs an ECC-Rater. Order from the residential page.
Common Title 24 Questions
- What is a CF1R certificate of compliance?
- What is a CF2R certificate of installation?
- What is a CF3R certificate of verification?
- What is an NRCC form?
- What is an NRCA certificate of acceptance?
- What is an LMCC form?
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Under the ECC Program every active HERS rater is recognized as an ECC-Rater. For a 2025 project the rater needs 2025 certification from an ECC-Provider.
No. A HERS Index comes from a whole-house rating, which is not part of the ECC Program. An ECC-Rater's field verification is the compliance test recorded on a CF3R.
Explore ECC-Raters
- When Does a Residential Project Need an ECC-Rater?
- My ECC-Rater Was Suspended or Decertified: Is My Test Still Valid?
- Where Do I Get My CF3R, the Former HERS Certificate?
- How Do I Complain About an ECC-Rater or Ask for a Refund?
- Is an ECC-Rater a City Inspector? Who They Work For
View all ECC-Raters guides → · CHEERS and ECC · Title 24 guide