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Save Maine Homeowners Energy and Money; Lower Global Warming Pollution

Our homes are our biggest investment. This session, legislators can save Maine families money and protect health and the environment, by setting cost-effective standards for our homes (LD 2257).

• Skyrocketing heating bills, hard-earned dollars pouring out-of-state to buy oil and gas, global warming and air pollution…all of these problems point to the need to use energy wisely.
• Despite our harsh winters and high heating bills, Maine is one of only six states nationwide that lacks a building energy code for new home construction.
• Unfortunately, here in Maine, some brand new homes being built today are sub-standard when it comes to energy use. These new homes end up costing their owners so much more in energy bills that it would be illegal to build them in most other states.
• The expense of heating a home is a major part of the cost of home ownership. Appropriate standards will lower this expense and deliver the affordable value that homebuyers deserve.
• Fortunately, there are many cost-effective, energy-efficient building methods already in widespread use. Maine’s Legislature has a strong record of supporting measures that provide energy, environmental, consumer and economic benefits.

Lack of Energy Standards Puts Maine Families at a Disadvantage

• Maine is the only state in New England without a mandatory residential energy building code.
• 85% of new homes in Maine don't meet a minimum efficiency standard.
• Home ownership is most Mainers’ largest investment. Building energy standards offer consumer protection for owners of new homes.
• We build about 7,500 new homes each year and 65% of home energy use is for heating.
• New homes can meet the codes with little to no additional costs (any costs are recovered quickly through reduced energy costs).
• New homes last many generations. If we build them inefficiently, Mainers will be stuck with the cost of maintaining them, or subsidies to retrofit them after-the-fact.

More Efficient Homes Help Lower Maine’s Global Warming Emissions

• Residential buildings account for more global warming emissions than the commercial or industrial sectors.
• This legislation could save about 100,000 tons of CO2 by 2020.
• This bill is also an important next step in Maine’s Climate Action Plan (among the top-ten most cost-effective strategies in the Plan).

Maine Homebuyers Deserve Reasonably Efficient Homes

An Act to Establish a Uniform Building & Energy Code:

• Sets a reasonable minimum standard to ensure new homes constructed in Maine are not excessively wasteful.
• Trains energy code inspectors to confirm consumer value.
• Gives municipalities the opportunity to train and certify energy inspectors without any mandates.
• Provides developers, architects and builders with a clear, uniform standard.