The Cost of a Home Doesn't End at the Purchase Price: Why Energy Efficiency Matters

When shopping for a new home, it's natural to focus on the purchase price.

But the price you pay for a home is only part of what that home will cost you over the years you live there.

Heating and cooling, electricity, water and ongoing maintenance all contribute to the true cost of homeownership. That's why energy efficiency isn't simply an environmental consideration — it can also be an important financial one.

For homebuyers comparing their options, looking at how a home is built can be just as important as looking at its finishes, floor plan or purchase price.

A Home Is a Long-Term Investment

A home will consume energy every day for decades.

In Southwestern Ontario, our homes have to perform through hot, humid summers and cold winters. Heating and cooling can therefore represent a significant part of a household's ongoing expenses.

A more energy-efficient home is designed to require less energy to maintain a comfortable indoor environment.

That can mean lower utility costs for the homeowner — not just in the first year, but throughout the time they own the home.

Those ongoing savings are one reason we believe affordability should be considered over the entire life of a home, rather than only on closing day.

What Makes a Home More Energy Efficient?

Energy efficiency isn't achieved by adding one high-efficiency appliance or upgrading a furnace.

It starts with how the entire home is designed and built.

Features such as higher levels of insulation, improved air sealing, high-performance windows and doors, efficient heating and cooling equipment and properly designed ventilation systems all work together.

When these elements are considered as part of a whole-home approach, the result is a home that requires less energy to operate while providing a more consistent and comfortable indoor environment.

The Difference an ENERGY STAR® Certified Home Can Make

ENERGY STAR® Certified homes are built to meet higher energy-efficiency requirements than homes constructed only to minimum building code standards.

These homes are designed to be at least 20 per cent more energy efficient than a home built to standard code requirements.

That increased efficiency can translate into reduced energy consumption and lower utility costs for homeowners.

But the benefits go beyond the monthly bill.

ENERGY STAR homes incorporate features such as improved insulation, greater airtightness, high-performance windows and efficient heating, cooling and ventilation systems.

The result can be fewer drafts and cold spots, more consistent temperatures throughout the home and improved indoor comfort throughout the year.

Comfort Is Part of the Equation

Energy efficiency is sometimes discussed entirely in terms of dollars and cents.

But one of the biggest differences homeowners may notice is simply how the home feels.

A well-insulated and properly sealed home is better equipped to maintain consistent temperatures from room to room. High-performance windows can help reduce cold areas near windows during the winter and unwanted heat during the summer.

Proper ventilation is equally important.

Modern energy-efficient homes are designed to control air movement rather than relying on uncontrolled drafts and air leakage. Ventilation systems can remove stale air and excess moisture while bringing fresh outdoor air into the home.

The result is a home designed not only to consume less energy, but to provide a more comfortable living environment.

Third-Party Testing Matters

Homebuyers hear a lot of claims about quality and efficiency.

Certification provides another level of assurance.

ENERGY STAR Certified homes are subject to specific requirements and third-party verification. Testing can include measures such as a blower door test, which evaluates the home's airtightness and helps confirm that the building envelope is performing as intended.

For a homeowner, that means energy efficiency isn't simply something printed in a brochure.

The home's performance has been tested and verified.

Going Beyond ENERGY STAR: Net Zero and Net Zero Ready

Energy-efficient construction continues to evolve.

Net Zero and Net Zero Ready homes take many of the same building-science principles even further.

A Net Zero home is designed to be highly energy efficient and produce as much energy as it consumes annually through renewable energy generation, such as solar power.

A Net Zero Ready home is built to a similarly high level of energy performance and is designed so renewable energy systems can be incorporated to achieve Net Zero performance.

These homes demonstrate just how dramatically better building practices can reduce the amount of energy required to operate a home.

BK Cornerstone's Commitment to Energy-Efficient Building

Energy efficiency isn't new to BK Cornerstone.

We have been building ENERGY STAR Certified homes in Windsor-Essex since 2006 and were the region's first ENERGY STAR registered builder.

We are also one of the area's few certified Net Zero builders and were among the first homebuilders in Ontario to build a Net Zero home in 2017.

Today, that commitment continues.

Our approach considers the entire home — its insulation, airtightness, windows, doors, heating, cooling and ventilation — with the goal of creating homes that perform better for the people who live in them.

Because building an energy-efficient home isn't just about meeting a standard.

It's about building a better home.

Look Beyond the Purchase Price

There are many factors to consider when purchasing a home: location, layout, finishes, neighbourhood and, of course, price.

Energy performance deserves to be part of that conversation too.

Two homes with a similar purchase price may not necessarily cost the same amount to own over the years.

A home that requires less energy to heat and cool can help reduce ongoing household expenses while providing benefits in comfort, indoor air quality and overall performance.

At BK Cornerstone, we believe a well-built home should work for its homeowners long after they receive the keys.

Because the true cost of a home isn't only what you pay to buy it.

It's also what it costs you to live in it.