HOMEPAGE with clock2024-10-11T12:31:09-04:00

Our Goals

  • Lower housing costs 
  • Increase resilience to extreme weather 
  • Build healthier homes 
  • Cut greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution 
  • Reduce risk of mortgage defaults 

Time since FHFA said it would act:

Why Update Energy Codes?

Every year, builders construct hundreds of thousands of new houses and apartments that waste energy.
Energy inefficient homes leave future homeowners and renters paying higher utility bills in homes that are less safe in extreme weather—and they needlessly increase pollution.

Why does this still happen?

Because new homes are built to meet a patchwork of energy codes across the country—many of them significantly outdated.

A simple solution:

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is considering requiring new homes with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to be built to updated energy codes. It would follow the lead of other federal agencies that are strengthening their efficiency requirements for mortgages they back.

The Campaign for Lower Home Energy Costs is calling on the Federal Housing Finance Agency to act and protect residents from high costs and risk of loan default, improve the safety of homes in extreme weather, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution.

home energy costs

Resources

Explore actions being taken

Infographic: Good News for Homeowners: Modern Energy Codes Can Save $$
October 2024

Fact Sheet: Why Up-to-date Energy Requirements for Federally-backed Loans Will Lower Costs for Residents
June 2024

Letter to the Federal Housing
Finance Agency
May 2024

Fact Sheet: FHFA Should Adopt Home Energy Codes to Cut Utility Bills, Emissions, and Foreclosure Risk
April 2024

Fact Sheet: FHFA Should Adopt Home Energy Codes to Cut Utility Bills, Emissions, and Foreclosure Risk
April 2024

In the News

Get up to date with the latest press

Feds urged to update energy standards for new homes 

“Dozens of organizations — including environmental nonprofits, affordable housing advocates and industry trade groups — are calling on the Federal Housing Finance Agency to require new homes backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to meet updated energy codes.”

National Labs Study Finds Updated Building Energy Codes Save Lives in Face of Intensifying Climate Hazards

“DOE analysis finds the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code can reduce deaths from extreme heat by as much as 80 percent.”

Meet the trade group fighting against clean energy standards

“The NAHB has pushed for and even provided lawmakers with model texts for legislation to keep these outdated codes in place.”

Arizona’s Maricopa County shatters record for heat deaths

“Health officials said 122 deaths occurred indoors, of which 92 were discovered with nonfunctioning air conditioning and 11 with no air conditioning present at all.”

News & Updates

2504, 2024

Groups Celebrate Updated Energy Efficiency Rules for New U.S.-Backed Homes

April 25th, 2024|Categories: Blog Article|

Advocates and industry groups welcomed newly adopted energy codes today for federally supported homes across the country. The significant update from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) will reduce housing costs, default risks to lenders, and greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution.  [...]

2304, 2024

Updated energy codes help residents afford their bills and survive extreme temperatures

April 23rd, 2024|Categories: Blog Article|

As the frequency of extreme temperatures increases, so too will energy costs. Inevitably, the financial strain on hardworking families across the country will reach unprecedented levels. Inadequately insulated and cooled homes pose significant health risks, compounding the challenges faced by residents already burdened with high energy bills. In some cases, [...]

504, 2024

Housing costs will keep going up unless we start building better homes

April 5th, 2024|Categories: Blog Article|

Insurance companies know something you may not: the next home you buy could bankrupt you, or even worse, become your tomb. There’s a reason those companies are fleeing homes in places like Florida. It’s called climate change, it’s real, and it’s scary. Over the last decade the number of heat-related [...]

2803, 2024

Mortgage Lenders Urge FHFA to Adopt Codes for Energy-Efficient Homes

March 28th, 2024|Categories: Press Releases|

Adopting up-to-date energy codes would not only save families thousands in energy costs but also reduce risks for lenders In a joint effort to enhance long-term housing affordability and reduce financial risk, a group of consumer and mortgage lenders has penned a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) expressing [...]

Campaign Partners

The Campaign for Lower Home Energy Costs was launched in partnership with the following organizations: 

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