ENERGY STAR®.

ENERGY STAR. Great for our environment—and your utility bills. We GUARANTEE it!

HearthStone Homes is proud to introduce the next level of ENERGY STAR.

At HearthStone Homes we get to be a part of thousands of people’s lives, which is both a profound honor and a serious responsibility. We get to help people build better lives, in homes they love to live in. And now, we offer homes Mother Nature loves, too – with ENERGY STAR qualified homes. These new homes increase efficiency and help decrease the use of natural resources, making them an even easier home to love.

What is ENERGY STAR?

ENERGY STAR is the government-initiated symbol for energy efficiency. The mark identifies new homes, buildings, and more than 50 types of products that meet high standards of energy efficiency and offer the features, quality, and performance that today’s consumers expect.

With a HearthStone Homes’ ENERGY STAR qualified home, you can have the features you desire in your new home, plus better performance and lower utility bills which is backed by a two year guarantee– all while helping prevent greenhouse gas emissions.

What does this mean to how we build your home?

2X6 Construction for exterior walls: This method of construction not only lends to a sound home but also allows for more insulation in the walls of your home.
Tight Construction and Du cts: A tightly sealed home improves comfort and indoor air quality while lowering utility and maintenance costs.
High R-Value Insulation: Properly installed and inspected insulation results in lower utility costs and a quieter, more comfortable home.
High Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment: An energy-efficient heating and cooling system uses less energy to operate, which reduces your utility bill. Your home will have a 95% efficient furnace and a 13 seer AC unit.
High Performance Windows: Energy-efficient windows employ advanced technologies to help keep heat in during the winter and out during the summer.
Independent Testing: An Independent Home Energy Rater conducts onsite inspections and testing to verify the performance of the energy efficiency features in your home.
Energy Efficiency within your home: Your home will have Compact Florescent light bulbs and a programmable thermostat to help manage your energy usage more effectively.

What Are The Benefits To Homeowners? Flowers

Added Confidence: Finding the home of your dreams and enjoying peace of mind knowing that it meets rigorous energy efficiency guidelines set by EPA and verified by an independent Home Energy Rater.
Lower Ownership Cost: ENERGY STAR qualified homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating. Not only will your home be more comfortable year round but your bills will be too. We guarantee that you will not exceed a pre-determined amount of usage annually. If you do, we will reimburse you for the difference.
Better Performance: Properly installed energy-efficient improvements deliver better protection against cold, heat, drafts, moisture, pests, pollution, and noise.
Smarter Investment: Only 1 in 10 U.S. homes built earn the ENERGY STAR qualification. You can be confident that it will be an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.
Environmental Protection: Greater energy efficiency helps us all make the most of our energy resources, mitigates the impact of high energy prices, decreases the need for new power plants, lowers our reliance on energy imports, and reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants at the source.
PEACE OF MIND: It’s great to know your home is doing the right thing for the environment — and your budget. You have the peace of mind in knowing that your home will not only be more comfortable year round but will also be at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC) and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20-30% more efficient than standard homes.

What is the ENERGY STAR Guarantee?

We’re the only value builder in the area that builds ENERGY STAR Qualified homes which will reduce the amount of energy your home will use, than we guarantee the utility usage for two years!

We will determine what the typical energy usage will be in your home, in a typical weather year. Then we guarantee that your usage will not exceed that pre-determined annual amount. If it does, we will reimburse you 100% of the cost of the difference.

The reimbursement will be paid to you within 30 days of the claim being submitted and will be calculated based on the rate per therm/kilowatt hour at the time the claim is submitted. Any reimbursements will be made based on the annual usage not the dollar amount, as the cost the utility companies charge per therm/kWh can change.

Your guarantee will begin the day you close on your home and will continue for 24 months. You will have the peace of mind in knowing that your home is having a lower impact on the environment and your utility bills!

As a homeowner what do I need to do?

There are a few simple things that as the homeowner we ask you to agree to.

Prudent use of your doors and windows when the HVAC system is in use.

Operate the HVAC system according to the manufacturer’s recommendations including routine maintenance.

Change the HVAC and vent filters as recommended.

Maintain the thermostat no higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the heating season and no lower than 75 degrees Fahrenheit in the cooling season.

Inform HearthStone Homes in writing within 30 days of completion of any alterations/renovations that may impact the energy efficiency of your home and may void your energy usage guarantee.

Maintain and submit your ENERGY STAR Guarantee chart that you will receive at closing along with supporting documentation if you have a claim.

If energy usage is above the pre-determined amount, agree to submit any claims to HearthStone Homes within 60 days following your 1st anniversary after close. Also, agree to submit any claims to HearthStone Homes within 60 days following your 2nd anniversary after close.

How do I submit a claim?

We have made submitting a claim as easy as can be. Please send us the following information and your reimbursement will be sent within 30 days from receipt of your claim:

The completed ENERGY STAR Guarantee chart documenting monthly usage

Copies of your monthly statements

Your name and address

Your contact phone number

Please send your claim and documentation to:

HearthStone Homes
Attn: Customer Care – ENERGY STAR Guarantee
810 N. 96th Street
Omaha, NE 68114

If you have any questions on submitting a claim for your ENERGY STAR Guarantee please contact Customer Care at 402-339-0150 ext. 130.

HearthStone Homes is recognized with a 2009 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing Award

HearthStone Homes is pleased to announce that is has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2009 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing Award. This award recognizes the important contribution HearthStone Homes has made to energy-efficient construction and environmental protection by building more than 546 ENERGY STAR qualified homes last year. Collectively, these homes will save our customers $244,062 on utility bills each year.

The environmental benefits of these ENERGY STAR qualified homes are equal to or the equivalent of:

Eliminating the emissions from 267 vehicles;
Saving 1,618,344 lbs of coal;
Planting 442.26 acres of trees; or
Saving the environment 3,173,898 pounds of CO2 per year

To earn the ENERGY STAR qualification, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and more efficient than standard homes.

"At HearthStone Homes, we get to be part of thousands of people's lives, which is both a profound honor and a serious responsibility. We get to help people build better lives - in homes they love to live in. We introduced ENERGY STAR qualified homes with this in mind," said Dave Vogtman, Vice President of Relations for HearthStone Homes.

HearthStone credits putting customers first as a signature to its success. "Ninety-six percent of our customers are willing to refer a friend or family member to us, and about half our sales are referrals," he said. " This is a direct result of the postive building experience we give our customers, and ENERGY STAR is just one more piece of that."

ENERGY STAR qualified homes offer homebuyers all the features they want in a new home, plus energy-saving features like effective insulation systems, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, properly-sized and installed efficient heating and cooling equipment, efficient products, and third-party verification of energy performance.

"Most homebuyers focus on what's outside the walls," said Sam Rashkin, National Director for EPA's ENERGY STAR Homes Program, " but they also need to look behind the walls for the energy-efficient features found in ENERGY STAR qualified homes that help ensure comfort, quiet, improved indoor air quality, and low utility bills for years to come."

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emmisions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than $12,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR visit www.energystar.gov or call toll free 1-888 - STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937)

History in the making….

HearthStone Homes is the first value builder in the Omaha Metropolitan area to build ENERGY STAR Qualified homes! Just one more reason why HearthStone Homes provides More Home for Less Money!

For more information about ENERGY STAR, please visit the ENERGY STAR® website.