Sencon

What Home Star Means to Consumers

Homeowners who take advantage of the program can expect to possibly underwrite as much as half the cost it will take to make their existing home more energy efficient, thus reducing the cost of their utility bills, improving comfort and lessening their impact on the environment. Who doesn’t want to do that?! Depending on the size of the project, most homeowners can expect to reduce home energy costs from five to 40 percent. One study estimates that overall savings to American homeowners could exceed $9 billion over the next 10 years.

With requirements in the Gold Star path of incentives to actually measure a home’s performance both before and after improvements are made, homeowners will gain the piece of mind of knowing that not only was the work performed at a quality level, but that the changes made were the right ones and will truly improve the efficiency of their homes.

Household energy use accounts for more than a fifth of total carbon emissions generated in the United States. That’s roughly twice the pollution produced by passenger cars, according to Energy First, a national nonprofit trade organization involved in the home performance and building materials industries. According to the Pew Center on Climate Control Change, Home Star legislation could increase the number of home retrofits from 3 million a year from the current level of 200,000 a year. Such increases could result in carbon reduction equal to taking 615,000 cars off the road. It will also help reduce our country’s dependence on fossil fuels, reducing our vulnerability to energy markets that in recent years has witnessed extreme price swings caused by events outside America and often by countries hostile to our interests.

Home Star will not only help individual homeowners underwrite the cost of ultimately reducing their energy bills, improving the comfort in their home and raising their property’s overall value, but it is also a big step toward creating a cleaner environment, safer nation and better, more sustainable future for all Americans.

Related Pages

Main Home Star Page

What It Means to Contractors

Types of Incentives

Improve Your Business Through SENCON Training

Resources

Home Star Legislation News