An energy-efficient smart house might sound impossibly futuristic and expensive but building an energy-efficient house just requires some knowledge of energy-smart house design and your goals for embracing smart home technology. Are you looking to save money? Save energy? Protect the environment? Simplify managing your energy consumption? Accomplish all of the above? Then you’re a candidate for learning more about building an energy-efficient smart house in a way that’s customized to fit your and your family’s lifestyle.
Luckily, we’re experts on energy-smart house design and how to build the most energy-efficient house and can guide you every step of the way. The first issue homeowners should understand is the Home Energy Rating Standards Index and what it tells you about your home’s energy efficiency. On the HERS Index, the lower the score, the better the rating and the less energy the home uses for utilities. The average new home has a rating of 100. Existing homes typically have a rating of 130, meaning they use even more energy than new homes. Our median home at Lancia rates a 64. That means that for every $1.30 that homeowners typically pay for utilities, our customers are paying 64 cents. Imagine how that adds up over time.
That’s just one reason so many people are building energy-smart houses. Here are seven of the top reasons why homeowners are building an energy-efficient house with smart technology:
1. Smaller utility bills.
Once a smart home system knows your family’s schedule, energy efficiency and savings can really follow, saving you big bucks on your utility bills. Consider a system that knows when you leave for work and shuts off all lights, audio equipment, ceiling fans, and power strips to conserve power; changes the thermostat on your heater or air conditioner to save energy; and sets back the hot-water heater thermostat — and then restores all these settings before you’re ready to pull back into your driveway. With a smart home system, you can schedule your appliances to operate at down periods when energy generation is plentiful, such as during the day when many people are at work, and automate window blinds, shades, and drapes to harvest sunlight when it’s needed and minimize solar gain in the heat of the summer.
2. Helpful tax incentives.
Homeowners can qualify for a residential energy property tax credit for 10% of the cost of certain home energy-efficient improvements including energy-efficient roofs, insulation, windows, doors, and skylights. Energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems can qualify for credit for alternative energy equipment through Dec. 31, 2021. State and local tax incentives may also apply to your home project.
3. Better comfort at home.
You might be wondering how an energy-efficient smart home makes you more comfortable in your abode. One way is that it’ll help you maintain a more consistent temperature throughout the household, making environmental fluctuations a thing of the past. And without outside air seeping in from leaky windows or poor insulation that often occurs in older homes, you won’t be constantly running back and forth to the thermostat. Smart home technology renders the dash to the thermostat obsolete anyway, as it lets you adjust your thermostat plus locks, cameras, lights, appliances, and more through a home automation system managed through your mobile device.
4. An increase in home value.
Upgrades to a home’s energy efficiency not only save homeowners money in the short term, but they also attract more cash when it’s time to sell. A National Association of Home Builders survey found that the average homebuyer is willing to pay more than $8,700 to save $1,000 annually in their utility bills. An energy smart house is a smart real estate investment, too.
5. A healthier environment.
It stands to reason that energy-efficient homes are also better for the environment, and the research bears that out: Buildings are responsible for about 39% of our total energy consumption, 38% of our carbon dioxide emissions, and more than two-thirds of our total electricity consumption, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. As these statistics suggest, using less energy is highly impactful to our natural environment and health.
6. Easier breathing.
Speaking of health, an energy-efficient smart home can help you breathe more easily. A smart home system can help you monitor your indoor air quality by reporting on pollutants and other air-quality problems in your home in real time. On top of that, it can send you push notifications about unsafe conditions and trigger connected devices such as air purifiers, fans, or dehumidifiers to set about making the air more hospitable. If you suffer from asthma or allergies, these smart home technologies could help you breathe more easily.
7. The fun of designing it.
One element of smart house design that’s often overlooked? The fun of it! We can guide you through finding the best building material for energy-efficient houses, making choices about your smart home appliances, and create the energy-smart house of your dreams.
Are you ready to save up to 70% on your utility costs compared with owning an existing home in northeastern Indiana or northwest Ohio? Call us at Lancia Homes at (260) 489-4433 to set up an appointment and find out more about how we can help you build your dream smart home today!
