All homes built as part of this program must be at least 15% more efficient than required by building code. The average High-Performance Energy Star home designed and built by Ed Nikles Custom Builder, Inc. is approximately 44% more efficient than required by code: a statistic that has earned them many awards, including the 2010 Green Home of the Year Award from the Pike County Builder’s Association.

The Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program is intended to encourage builders and buyers of new homes within the utility companies’ Pennsylvania service territories to include energy efficiency as a design feature. Homes will receive a stringent evaluation conducted by an independent, certified home energy rater to determine whether they meet the program’s 15% minimum above code threshold requirement.

Energy efficient homes can save homebuyers thousands of dollars in energy costs throughout the life of the building. Investing in efficiency measures during construction can continue to provide payback for decades, like many of the homes built by Ed Nikles Custom Builder, Inc. which save their owners, on average, approximately $2,000 a year in utility bills.

For more information on Ed Nikles Custom Builder, Inc., please call 1-570-296-9200 or visit them online at www.ednikles.com. For more information on FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania Energy Efficient New Homes Program, please visit www.energysavepa-newhomes.com.