Power bill convinces pair of Energy Star's value

When casino dealers Pat and Rhonda Van Gundy received their first power bill after moving into their new Energy Star home, they thought there must have been a mistake.

For the month of April, the Van Gundys' bill was $19.

"We thought that this can't be right, so we called the power company. They said it was correct. I couldn't believe it," Rhonda Van Gundy said.

The Van Gundys purchased an Energy Star home in North Las Vegas with low-e windows, blown insulation, sealed ducts, programmable thermostats and energy-efficient appliances.

Although the two know that their bills won't be that low in the summer, energy efficiency was a key factor when they bought their new home.

"When we first started looking, it wasn't a factor, but after I heard about Energy Star it definitely influenced our buying decision," Pat Van Gundy said.

Tests conducted by efficiency raters confirm that a home has met Energy Star guidelines of being at least 30 percent more efficient than a standard home built according to the national Model Energy Code.

Nevada Energy Star Partners, a coalition of developers, energy inspection certification companies and others are in the midst of a three-month campaign entitled "Things are Heating Up, Think Energy Star" to promote the Environmental Protection Agency program.

During the campaign, potential home buyers can enter a contest to win prizes.

Home builders who are members of Nevada Energy Star Partners are: American Premiere Homes, Amstar Homes, Astoria Homes, Beazer Homes, Centex dba Real Homes, Concordia Homes, Del Webb Corp., Desert Wind Homes, Distinctive Homes, Greystone Homes, Hearthstone Homebuilders, KB Home, Nevada Homes Group, Pardee Homes, Perma-Bilt Homes, Pulte Homes, Spinnaker Homes, Signature Homes, and Westmark Homes.

Real Estate home