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CHEERS Certified

This could be the most important architectural detail in your new home.

"CHEERS® Certified" means the new home you’re considering is carefully and thoughtfully built from the inside out. What’s your first impression when you walk into a new home? If the home is well constructed you can almost feel its quality. Then, you start to see details: windows, cabinets, carpeting, tile, woodwork, bath and kitchen fixtures. But there are other important details. Details you may overlook. These details have a direct influence on the cost of living there. They’re the kind of details that prompt questions.

• How much will the house cost to heat and air condition?
• How much will hot water cost?
• How much heat and cooling is lost through the windows?
• What will it cost to run major, energy gobbling, appliances?

When a house is "CHEERS® Certified", you know utility bills can be up to 50% lower. That’s a detail worth knowing more about.

CHEERS® (California Home Energy Efficiency Rating Services) is an independent, non-profit organization that tests, verifies and certifies that a home is energy efficient. Our raters determine whether a builder has used the highest quality systems, techniques, materials and appliances for a cleaner, quieter, more comfortable energy efficient home; a home that meets all California standards and requirements for energy efficiency. The result is a home that costs less to operate.

CHEERS® certification helps ensure your new home gives you all the living comfort you expect. Because energy efficiency is built in, a “CHEERS® Certified home is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It keeps outside noise to a minimum. It can even help increase indoor air quality. Highly efficient insulation, full weather stripping, properly constructed windows, effective sill plates, properly designed and built ducting, insulated pipes and appliances with proven energy efficiency all add up to higher comfort levels and lower costs. And, what’s good for you is good for everyone. As your energy consumption goes down the quality of our environment goes up.

"CHEERS® Certified" raters are professionals who work closely with builders throughout California every day. They’ve been well trained. They’re knowledgeable. And they know what it takes to build a house that’ll meet all California’s high standards for energy efficiency. When a house is "CHEERS® Certified" you’ll know the inspection and verification process has been thorough and the evaluation is precise. You can count on it.

CHEERS® is the first organization approved by the California Energy Commission to train and certify energy efficiency raters. The California Energy Commission is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency. The commission supports the promotion of energy efficiency for a better environment. That’s why CHEERS® , a nonprofit organization supported by a coalition of utilities, the building industry, environmental organizations and consumer groups has become preeminent in the development of energy efficiency rating programs and rater training and certification.

Ask about CHEERS® certification of any new home you’re thinking of buying. It’s your assurance that it’s a home that’s been built to meet or exceed all California energy efficiency requirements and standards; a home that’s comfortable, economical and energy efficient.