Dennis and Judy Day, of Sandoval, built certified comfort home energy savings into the home they wanted. The average monthly heating and cooling bill during their first year in the 3,640 square foot house was $20.38.

Home owners celebrate energy saving anniversaries

Most people celebrate anniversaries by spending money. Certified Comfort Home owners in Tri-County Electric Cooperative's service area are celebrating theirs by saving it.

Each year, Certified Comfort Home owners receive an energy review statement — a kind of year-end energy anniversary call from the cooperative. The review tallies up a family's energy bills for the past year and pits the monthly average against the home's target consumption rate.

So what's to celebrate?

Of the 13 Certified Comfort Homes in Tri-County's service area, none have exceeded the target figure. And if a Certified Comfort Home should exceed the projected average, the co-op would cover the added cost.

If you aren't familiar with the concept of a Certified Comfort Home, it works like this:

Soon-to-be homeowners share the plans of their home with a co-op representative who rates them according to Certified Comfort Home standards. The rating identifies and evaluates key energy components like wall construction, air infiltration, ceiling insulation, floor or basement wall insulation, window and door construction, duct layout, lighting, water heating, and (of course) the heating and cooling system. If the home qualifies for the program, the cooperative calculates the annual heating and cooling cost.

During construction, a Tri-County representative inspects the home periodically to ensure it's being built to specifications. After construction is completed, the co-op sets an additional meter adjacent to the house meter. The second meter records the exact amount of power dedicated to heating and cooling in a given month. Each year on the home's "anniversary date" the actual usage is compared to the target amount. If the bill is over budget, the co-op refunds the difference. The guarantee is good for three years.

"Actually, you get a number of values with a Certified Comfort Home," says Bruce Barkau, director of marketing for Tri-County Electric. "They're very affordable, very energy efficient, and very comfortable." As an example, Barkau cited a 3,640 square foot certified comfort home with an electric bill that averages about $21 per month.

Keep that figure in mind when you think about building your next home. A Certified Comfort Home can keep your winters warm, your summers cool, and your bills low. In short, it can give you something to celebrate.

Satisfied homeowners say

"It's just a comfortable, nice home. I'm really satisfied with it." Tim Marlow commenting on his 2,662 square foot Certified Comfort Home east of Mt. Vernon.

"You don't have the carbon monoxide gas to worry about, there's no open flame, and it doesn't dry the moisture out of the air." Mark Walsh of Salem, listing some of the added benefits of the geothermal system which heats and cools his Certified Comfort Home.

"There are no cold spaces and no drafts around the windows. This is the closest thing I've found to the old radiator-style heat..." Dennis Day commenting on the comfortable, even temperature of his home.

22 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING JANUARY 1998