March 30 -- KB Home announced today that all new homes it builds in Dallas, in both new and existing communities, will be constructed to Energy Star guidelines. This action will reduce buyers’ energy costs in an area that leads the nation in average monthly utility bills, the Dallas-based home builder said.
According to a January 2009 report by WhiteFence.com, the average monthly utility bill for Dallas households in 2008 was $378, the highest of the 20 metro markets surveyed in the report. WhiteFence.com says it’s the largest online comparison shopping marketplace for electricity, cable, phone, and Internet services.
KB Home recently announced that all homes in any new communities it begins nationwide will be built to Energy Star guidelines. Company officials said that homebuyers also can purchase additional environmentally friendly options in four categories.
"KB Home's leadership in the area of energy efficiency is something that all businesses, regardless of the industry, should strive to emulate," Sam Rashkin, director of the EPA Energy Star for Homes program, said in a statement. "As one of the nation's largest home builders, KB Home has a unique opportunity to make a real impact on the environment.”
Rashkin added that with its announcement to build all Energy Star-qualified dwellings, KB Home has set the bar in the home building industry and that he hopes more production builders follow the example.
