We talked recently in this blog about the various green building certification programs that allow buyers to assess the “green credentials” of any home they are interested in purchasing. These programs, while popular with many new home builders, have remained a bit of a mystery to many home shoppers, who often don’t fully understand what each program certifies, what its guidelines are, or how much money in energy-savings each certification will represent to them, as homeowners. Home builder KB Home has understood some of the confusion related to energy-efficiency certification, and has launched a new Energy Performance Guide Program to address these questions and concerns.
The program, dubbed “EPG” for short, is based upon the MPG (miles per gallon) energy consumption estimation that consumers are accustomed to seeing on new cars. The EPG will take a similar tack, estimating the general energy requirements of each new KB home, in terms of the monthly electrical and gas bills. The estimates are based upon the level of each home’s rating as per the Home Energy Rating System (HERS), which is a foundation of the federal government’s Energy Star certification program.
This rating is then translated into straight-forward, dollar-oriented terms that allow consumers to compare available options and make an educated choice. Each posted EPG includes the estimated amount of the home’s monthly energy bills, as well as a comparison of that cost to those of existing homes and traditionally-constructed new homes.
The new EPG rating will be displayed prominently in all KB Home models, and will be included in information given to all KB home purchasers. KB Home has been a partner of the EPA’s Energy Star New Homes Partner since 2000, and has built over 60,000 Energy Star-rated homes throughout the country.
More about KB Home: KB Home Company Profile KB Home Electric Car Option
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