Did you know that you can purchase a manufactured home which is actually earned the Energy Star rating? It's true - the manufactured and modular industry is one of the first "early adopters" of the whole-home Energy Star rating. According to the Manufactured Housing Research Alliance ("MHRA"), citing a study performed by Owens-Corning (a vendor to the industry), the average homebuyer would pay an additional $2,869 for an energy efficient home, while most manufactured home retailers who were surveyed believed that consumers would only pay an average of $1,394. This statistic is very important, because the actual cost from the manufacturer to take a standard home plan, and make it Energy Star qualified, is greater than even the higher figure acceptable to the average buyer.
In addition to cost, 85% of those buyers surveyed are willing to pay more for an energy efficient home. 85% of those surveyed believe that an energy efficient home means a better quality home, and finally, 82% of home buyers surveyed felt that buying an energy efficient home was important. According to the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star qualification means:
- Savings of between $25 and $90 per month in home operating costs;
- Greater Customer Satisfaction;
- Parity with or Even Better Than Site-Constructed Housing;
- Energy Star verified by an independent third-party;
- Government Backed;
- Higher Resale Values;
- More Comfortable Living.
In some States, utility companies actually offer rebates of up to $750 for the purchase of an Energy Star qualified home. Here in California, if you are a Southern California Edison customer, you can obtain a $450 rebate for the purchase of a new, Energy Star qualified manufactured home that is gas-heated, or a $750 rebate for an electric-heated Energy Star qualified new manufactured home. Other jurisdictions participating include Nevada Power Company, and Tennessee Valley Authority.
If you are interested in learning more about Energy Star certified manufactured homes, please check out the Manufactured Housing Research Alliance's website at www.mhrahome.org. There are some really useful resources on the website including an informative video and power-point slideshow.
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