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The House today passed Representatives Mike Weissman and Alex Valdez’s bill to give home buyers more options with regards to energy efficiency products in new homes, such as electric vehicle charging, electric water heating and solar panel systems. The bill passed in third reading by a vote of 37-23.
“When buying a home, which is perhaps the most significant investment of their lives, homeowners deserve to have more options to make their homes more energy efficient,” said Rep. Weissman, D-Aurora. “This legislation would reduce the headache of having to install greener solutions down the road, which makes sense for anyone in Colorado who is interested in reducing their carbon footprint or the cost of their bills.”
“To protect the Colorado way of life, we need to do all we can to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Rep. Valdez, D-Denver. “Withthis legislation, Coloradans can take part in moving towards carbon-free homes while saving money in the process.”
HB20-1155 requires single-family home builders to make a non-mandatory offer to install or pre-wire homes for electric vehicle charging, electric heating, or electric water appliances. The home buyer would pay for the installation, and the bill does not mandate that a builder build or install anything that a buyer doesn’t want. Current law asks home builders to offer, if a buyer wants, to pre-wire for solar or thermal systems. This would expand that to electric vehicle charging, heating and water.
It is less expensive to install or pre-wire for energy efficient appliances and vehicles when a home is being built than to retrofit a new home after it’s been purchased. Homebuyers can save money on electric vehicle charging if it’s installed when they build their homes. Together, these options will lead to more homes having energy efficient appliances, reducing the direct use of fossil fuels.
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