Does your new home perform better than the home down the street? Soon homeowners will be able to compare home energy performance. Just as cars are sold with miles-per-gallon labels, more new homes this year will feature labels estimating energy efficiency.
KB Home, one of the largest builders in the U.S., has announced plans to have an EPG (Energy Performance Guide) on each of its homes. The push for an MPG-like label comes as U.S. home builders seek a competitive edge in a tough market and as the U.S. government develops an efficiency score for existing homes.
While this label applies only to new homes, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is developing a home energy score for existing homes with pilot projects in 11 U.S. communities starting soon and the aim of launching a national standard this fall. The DOE will rate homes on a scale of 0 to 10 (the best) and will estimate how much money consumers will save annually by making certain upgrades. It will not estimate monthly utility costs. (USA Today)
