Industry News

Oceanside, Calif. — RESNET has announced that in 2017, there were 227,840 homes in the United States that were HERS rated and issued a HERS Index Score.  This broke the record for the number of homes HERS rated in a year, with 21,257 more homes HERS rated than in 2016.

The average HERS Index Score in 2017 was 62.  This is 38% more efficient than a home built as recently as 2006.

Said RESNET Executive Director Steve Baden, “”Homebuilders are increasingly seeing energy efficiency as a major selling point for buying a new home. To take advantage of this opportunity, builders across the nation are presenting their homes’ energy performance in a way that every home buyer can understand, the home’s HERS Index Score.  I expect that this trend will continue.  It is particularly encouraging that the average HERS Index Score was 62. This is 38% more efficient than homes built as recently as 2006 and 68% more efficient than a typical home built in 1970.   I congratulate the EnergySmart Builders, HERS Raters and program sponsors that are leading the trend to mainstreaming high performance homes in the market place.”

The six leading states in number of homes receiving a HERS Index Score were:

Texas  44,680

Arizona  20,599

Florida  15,996

North Carolina  15,545

Colorado  11,340

Indiana  9,781

The seven states with the lowest average HERS Index Score were:

Vermont  43

Maine  46

Montana  49

Minnesota  51

Hawaii  52

Alaska  53

New York  53

View HERS Index Scores per climate zone and all states in 2016 and 2017 by clicking here.

Showing off their latest innovation at IBS, Uponor announces the Uponor Pro Squad, an exclusive nationwide network of expertly trained plumbers and water specialists interested in leveraging the intelligent water technology of Phyn Plus, smart water assistant + shutoff, to grow their businesses.

The Uponor Pro Squad was developed to proactively promote, effectively sell and expertly install and service Phyn Plus. This new smart water monitoring system for homes automatically measures tiny changes in water pressure, 240 times per second, to identify and alert homeowners the moment a leak is detected, mitigate costly damage through automatic shut off, and diagnose potential problems in plumbing systems before they become an issue.

Licensed plumbing professionals interested in joining the Uponor Pro Squad can apply for consideration via uponorprosquad.com. Once accepted into the program, authorized installers will receive comprehensive training. Experts at Uponor and Phyn will provide ongoing plumbing and technical support to help members leverage the device’s features and benefits to grow their businesses.

“Uponor has always been a strong supporter of the trades,” says Bill Gray, president, Uponor North America. “Now, with the help of this new venture into smart home technology, plumbers can position themselves as market leaders and build their businesses, while helping to advance the plumbing industry into the digital age.”

Orlando — Although multifamily housing starts are expected to slightly moderate this year and in 2019, production levels are projected to remain stable in a range considered normal, according to experts participating in a press conference today during the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla.

“For the foreseeable future, production of multifamily housing is expected to be running at a trend level where supply is meeting demand,” said NAHB Senior Economist Michael Neal.

Multifamily starts are expected to edge 2 percent lower this year to 354,000 units from a projected 360,000 total in 2017 and fall another 3 percent to 344,000 in 2019.

However, Neal noted this does not indicate weakness in this market segment. “From 1995 through 2005, multifamily starts averaged 335,000,” he said. “Construction activity during the past four years has been running above this trend, and we are seeing the market stabilizing near more normal production levels.”

Ironically, one factor contributing to the stabilization of multifamily activity is the low inventory of homes on the for-sale market. “Fewer homes for sale means that some renter households looking to own will have to rent for longer than they may anticipate,” he said.

Meanwhile, the national rental vacancy rate registered a slight uptick last year, but stands at its low mid-1990s level of 7.5 percent.

Steven E. Lawson, president of The Lawson Companies in Virginia Beach, Va., whose firm builds both affordable and market-rate housing, addressed the predicted increasing demand for affordable rentals as a growing number of households are rent burdened, meaning they are paying too much of their income in rent.

“Demand is far outstripping supply and the supply-side of the equation is constrained by Low-Income Housing Tax Credit pricing, rising construction costs and higher interest rates,” said Lawson.

While the new tax reform law has significantly lowered corporate tax rates, it has also reduced tax credit prices, said Lawson.

“Rising labor and materials costs as well as falling prices for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits have changed the landscape so that some projected affordable projects are no longer viable,” said Lawson. “Moreover, labor shortages are driving up labor costs and spreading out construction schedules.”

On the plus side, the newly enacted pro-growth tax law will mean lower tax rates for most individuals in all income groups, which will put more money into the pockets of hard-working families, including renter households.

Furthermore, NAHB successfully championed the retention of private activity bonds as part of the new tax law, which will enable the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to maintain its effectiveness as the most indispensable tool for the production of affordable housing.

Once again, Care to Ride will be using an online fundraising site to help you seek donations and to help you manage your campaign. Those donating can do so directly by credit card, relieving the burden of collecting money and submitting it to Oil Heat Cares.

A minimum pledge of $100 by all individual participants and $600 for a team is required. We encourage you to enlist the support of friends, family and co-workers, or you may pay the fee on your own. You can ride a motorcycle, bicycle, walk or run, all for a good cause—raising funds for our neighbors in need.

The Annual Care to Ride fundraiser has set a goal of $35,000. You can raise money individually or sign up as a team and share that link with your team members.
When you set up your profile, please include a photo of yourself or your team and don’t forget to share it on Facebook.

Credit cards are the simplest, but checks may be used if preferred. Checks can be made payable to Oil Heat Cares and mailed to 312 North Avenue East, Suite 5, Cranford, NJ 07016 or brought to the event on Monday, May 21, 2018.