News From Chris Ledet Homes

See the label on the left? Look familiar? Of course it does. It’s the sticker we see on the windows of all of those shiny new cars at the local dealer. And who in a world of ever-rising energy costs would ever consider buying a car without carefully considering these ratings? After all, that car will be part of your life for a fairly long time. The cost of operating it over time is every bit as important as the cost of buying it.

Hmmm … So let’s think about this … If you’re making an important purchase that you’ll keep for a long time, and how much it costs to operate is as important as the purchase cost, then knowing the efficiency rating is probably a very good thing. Right?

You bet it is.

So if we are clear on the importance of a good efficiency rating for a $20,000 or $30,000 car, then how about an efficiency rating for a home costing $150,000 or $200,000 or more

Well, at Chris Ledet Homes we’ve got a rating you are absolutely going to love.

It’s called a HERS rating, or Home Energy Rating Score. It tells you what you can expect to pay for energy over the life of your home. In the case of your home, lower is better.

Here’s how it works.

A home that uses zero energy would receive a HERS rating of zero. Nice but not realistic. Homes need heat, cool air and other things that consume electricity, gas or oil.

Most modern homes built to current code requirements are likely to be in the 100 HERS range. For your typical 3 bedroom, two bath, 1,900 square foot home, that means energy costs of about $1,000 per year based on current rates.

But here is where this HERS thing gets interesting.

Chris Ledet is the top builder of homes that are Energy Star Certified. This means that a Chris Ledet home has a HERS rating of 80 or less.

So the actual energy costs of a Chris Ledet home would be more like $700, or a savings of $300 per year.

If you save that $300 every year during the life of a typical 30 year mortgage, you would have $11,000 in the bank once you were done.

Now that’s savings!

And it’s not counting what the savings would be worth if that $300 were invested each year. It’s one of the reasons why bankers are eager to work with families building their own homes, even if it’s their very first.

The documented energy efficiency of a Chris Ledet home is one of the keys to putting keys for a brand-new home built just for you in your hands.

Click here to learn more about the HERS rating or click here to see Chris Ledet Homes ratings or just call us at 985-448-4421.

One of the faces behind the phenomenal energy efficiency of Chris Ledet Homes is Paul LaGrange, an energy consultant with over 20 years of experience.

Paul has dedicated his career to teaching builders and homeowners about the importance of energy efficiency and proper installation techniques in south Louisiana’s hot and humid climate.

Paul is a certified RESNET energy rater and a Green Building verifier

“Including energy efficiency in your building plans is one of the best investments you can make in your new home,” Paul says. “We are fully committed to ensuring that those energy efficient features are installed properly so that your home can perform at the highest level possible.”

Paul’s certifications back up the wealth of experience that qualify him as the “last word” verifier for Chris Ledet Homes, making sure they meet the Energy Star standards.