Updated Home Energy Efficiency Standards Could Affect 1 in 4 Homes [Video]

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Updated efficiency standards from HUD and USDA will lower bills and make homes safer. Here’s how.

On April 25, the US Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Agriculture (USDA) announced final energy efficiency standards for new home construction. The refreshed standards will impact up to a quarter of all new homes nationwide and will cut energy bills by up to a third, paying for the efficiency improvements within two years on average. The affected units include affordable housing apartments (supported by HUD programs) as well as starter homes eligible for low-down-payment mortgages (insured by FHA and USDA). This announcement comes on the heels of a rule requiring new and majorly renovated federal buildings to be zero-emissions by 2030.

The announcement has been greeted with celebration from affordable housing advocates and energy efficiency expertsalike. But how many households will this …