Cost-Savings with Energy Efficient Homes
You Can Still Save While Living in a Luxury Home from a New Home Builder
Today, energy efficiency is as important to homeowners as luxury finishes and designs. This is because energy efficiency saves money, particularly at a time when home loan rates have risen. We understand that homebuyers’ budgets are at the forefront of their decision-making, and – because we want our communities happy and comfortable while also experiencing a luxury home lifestyle – we’ve built energy efficient savings into all of our homes. This is our commitment as energy conscious luxury home builders.
What is an Energy Efficient Home?
When searching for an energy efficient new home for sale in Denver, including quick move-in homes, you’ll likely run into various definitions of what energy efficiency means. While we can’t speak for all definitions, the practices developed by Oakwood Homes are energy efficient from start to finish.
Oakwood Homes use advanced techniques for building that cause less waste, and use less wood. Our heating and cooling systems, as well as our water fixture design, operate at superior efficiency, and our approach to window construction keeps heated and conditioned air inside, where it’s supposed to be.
In fact, at a more data-driven level, our homes rank closer to “zero energy” homes than resale homes built by less traditional methods, according to the Home Energy System Rating Index (HERS).
We think the following definition for energy efficiency also defines new home builders at Oakwood Homes: smart practices that implement sustainability from the design phase to the finishing touches.
Why Energy Efficient Homes Matter To Homeowners Today
There are many reasons why a homeowner might choose an energy efficient home that leans toward the “zero energy” homes on the HERS Index. Currently, we want to stress how energy efficient savings can help homeowners find an affordable price point from a luxury home builder.
Our vision for our master-planned communities is to provide luxury options at appealing prices. This way, more homeowners are able to find an entry point for the hometown living they desire – and we think they deserve. By building energy efficient homes, homeowners can offset higher-than-average home loan rates while consistently saving on their energy bills.
How Much Can You Really Save?
While this varies from market to market, and is also based on a homeowner’s particular energy habits, we have calculated that our water fixtures are 20% more efficient, and our overall energy footprint is 39% less than resale homes built with older methods. Check out our calculations, and citations on our Energy Efficiency resources page, which predict you can save hundreds of dollars per year because of our intelligent home engineering.
New Home Builders Who are Energy Conscious
There are many options for energy efficiency – at least in theory. However, if you’re searching for new homes near you in Denver, Colorado, Oakwood Homes is a measured choice.
We are registered as an EnergySmart Builder with RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network). RESNET sets national standards for energy efficiency ratings in a home. A third-party RESNET rater determined where we stand in relation to other resale homes, and we were pleased to see how much more we have in common with “zero energy” homes as opposed to ones built using older practices.
Our energy conscious choices in our new luxury homes and communities have paid off, and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished. More details on our energy efficiency can be found here.
Other Energy Savings Practices You Can Try
Aside from our construction methods which reduce waste and materials, as well as our careful choice in major home systems including residential HVAC, windows, and water fixtures, there are additional energy-related practices that you can try to save on your home. This way, you can focus your finances on the luxury home you want, and find ways to save money that you feel good about.
While some of these suggestions don’t seem like they would make a difference, they do add up in surprising ways. Consider the following energy efficiency tips for your home:
- Unplug your phone charger after two hours of charging
- Switch to LED lightbulbs
- Consider EnergyStar appliances
- Use powerstrips
- Schedule regular maintenance for your heating and cooling systems
- Consult a home performance contractor for a thorough energy audit
The Energy Efficiency Commitment from Your Denver New Home Builder
When you’re looking for a new home, including quick move-in homes, consult your custom home builder about their energy efficiency practices. They should be able to point to ways they’ve considered and implemented energy efficiency from the start of the build to the day you turn the key to your new home. If not, look to Oakwood Homes. We stand by our commitment to build homes above industry standards for energy efficiency so that we can benefit our community, especially through savings to you, our new community member.
We’d love to show you around one of our new homes near you in Denver, and continue a conversation about energy efficiency in our Oakwood Homes. Contact us today. We want to hear about what matters to you as a homeowner, and how we can help you achieve your goals.