Report: Energy-Efficient Home Premium Just $819 Nov 22, 2010

Printable format  Email this Article  Search

The average incremental cost of constructing a new home to meet the current energy efficiency building code – the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) – comes to just $818.72, according to a recent study by the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP), a nonprofit advocacy organization that supports code adoption and implementation. The report said the homeowner will recoup the extra cost in 3-1/2 years, thanks to annual energy savings of $243.37 per home.

BCAP based its calculations on the national average new home price of $267,451 for a 2400-sq-ft home and a 4.14% mortgage interest rate. State-specific labor and product costs were also used so the study would mirror actual construction pricing as closely as possible.

When a home is built to conform to the 2009 IECC – which BCAP describes as a minimum but meaningful baseline for energy efficiency – home buyers get energy-efficient lighting and windows, a higher grade of insulation, and HVAC duct sealing and testing.

Back to Daily News