BUILDING A HOME
“We have chosen to move toward tankless gas water heaters in our new construction units. This will give our residents the most energy efficient way to heat water and to have an endless supply of hot water at the same time.”
Bryan Davis | Property Manager, Hendley Properties
When building a new home it’s important to consider ways to make your home the most energy-efficient to save you money down the road. For example, be sure your sure home is equipped to install both natural gas and electric appliances, so you always have the option to choose the most appropriate energy source. Many appliances in your home can operate on either fuel and sometimes it makes economic and environmental sense to choose one fuel source over another. Adding a service line after your home is built costs more than just having it done while you are building your home.
Why natural gas?
Approximately 60 percent of US homes have natural gas service, and natural gas homes typically cost more than comparable electric homes due to the higher cost to install natural gas appliances. So why do builders opt for natural gas appliances where available? In a survey builders rated the most influential reasons that made them choose natural gas.
They identified the following factors (listed starting from the most important):
• Customers desire natural gas appliances (average rating, 4.0 out of 5.0)
• Natural gas appliances have lower operating costs (3.4)
• Builder has good working relationship with utility (2.8)
Customer preference was by far the most important factor for the builder to choose natural gas.