How much do you want to pay for energy?

In Daybreak, saving energy — and money — is more than a promise. It’s a scientifically tested, quantified and certified fact. And as you can see above, the fact is that the average Daybreak home is almost 50% more efficient than the typical older home built in the 1990s.

Every new home in Daybreak comes with a HERS rating. HERS stands for Home Energy Rating System, a program developed by the U.S. Department of Energy. But you can think of it as the miles-per-gallon rating for a home — a way to know how much energy a particular Daybreak home uses compared to typical new and older homes.

In fact, each new home in Daybreak comes with a certificate from an independent energy rater. The certificate provides a detailed picture of the home’s energy usage, showing the actual performance of various systems such as lighting, heating, appliances and so forth. The certificate also shows the home’s overall energy use … just like the MPG sticker on a car.

So what’s the difference between a new HERS-certified home in Daybreak and a new Energy Star®-rated home somewhere else? You could say it’s the difference between “definitely” and “possibly.” An Energy Star-rated home includes certain features that are intended to increase energy efficiency. But since the home hasn’t been performance-tested, you can’t be sure that the features were correctly built or installed. A HERS-certified Daybreak home, on the other hand, has not only been built to the Energy Star standard, it has been meticulously tested by a third-party energy rater to ensure that all systems have been properly installed and are working perfectly.

We should tell you that, as with cars, your home energy costs depend as much on how you live as they do on how your home was built. So even if you live in a super-efficient, performance-tested, HERS-certified Daybreak home … turn out the lights when you leave the room. For tips on how to save more energy and money, visit the Daybreak blog.

* Home Buyers should consult the Energy Star certificate for their individual home to verify the energy efficiency of their specific home. The HERS scoring and projected cost savings are averages, and individual results will vary. Kennecott Land/Rio Tinto makes no representation or warranty that savings of any particular amount will be realized. Your savings will vary depending on weather and other factors.