Harper Government Announces First Home Built to the New ENERGY STAR(R) Standard

GUELPH, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 5, 2013) - Today, Peter Braid, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, on behalf the Honourable Joe Oliver, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, celebrated the first ENERGY STAR-qualified home built to the new ENERGY STAR for New Homes standard, which came into effect in December 2012. The announcement was made at a home-opening ceremony to recognize industry leaders who are rising up to the challenge of meeting the increased efficiency requirements of the new standard.

"Our Government is committed to new standards that promote energy efficiency, save Canadians money, create jobs and strengthen the economy," said MP Braid. "ENERGY STAR homes built to the 2012 Standard are on average 20 percent more energy-efficient than those built to code, helping homeowners save money and helping the environment."

The new Energy Star Standard builds on the success of the previous version of the standard and further contributes to energy efficiency by including features such as: minimum prescribed levels of insulation; having mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to maintain a healthy indoor environment; and achieving a minimum of 400 kilowatt-hours per year of electrical savings (beyond heating and hot water), which is met using ENERGY STAR-qualified products like appliances and lighting.

Canadian homeowners can benefit from ENERGY STAR-qualified features including efficient heating and cooling systems, high-performance ENERGY STAR windows, and walls and ceilings insulated beyond what is required by the building code.

In order to earn the trusted ENERGY STAR label, homes must be built by a trained ENERGY STAR builder and meet technical requirements for energy efficiency developed by the Government of Canada. ENERGY STAR-built homes are verified by independent third-party energy advisors to ensure they meet the standard.

The ENERGY STAR for New Homes Standard was developed by Natural Resources Canada in cooperation with Canada's home-building professionals and key industry stakeholders to help Canadian easily identify energy-efficient homes. The new standard became effective on December 1, 2012.

Over 1,000 builders are registered to build ENERGY STAR homes, and over 34,000 ENERGY STAR homes have been built since the initiative began in 2005.

The following media backgrounder is available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media:

- ENERGY STAR(R) for New Homes

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Media may contact:
David Provencher
Press Secretary
Office of Canada's Minister of Natural Resources
613-996-2007


Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa
613-992-4447


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