The June 2023 RESNET® HERS® Index Builder of the Month is O’Connor Builders of Indiana. In business for over 30 years, O’Connor Builders began as a framing company and successfully evolved into a custom home builder, building homes ranging from $150,000 to $1.5 million with dimensions of 1000 – 5000 square feet. In this month’s feature, we asked Andy O’Connor, Project Manager at O’Connor Builders to share some insight on building HERS® homes for their customers. Andy notes why consumers want energy-efficient homes–“First and foremost, energy isn’t cheap and will continue to cost more, so why not invest in a home that is constructed with the future in mind? The [HERS®] ratings really do give a good perspective of the energy usage prior to purchasing.” Andy continues, “With the ever-rising cost of homeownership, most buyers want to know that the energy bills won’t be outrageous. The purchase price is just one thing to consider when looking for a home. I’ve seen gas and electricity bills just as much as the mortgage payment on older less efficient homes.” He praises the HERS® Rating process, saying, “HERS®-rated homes are inspected through the building process by trained professionals to ensure efficiency is met every step of the way. With a fast-paced job site, items that affect energy efficiency are often looked over. Our raters, Energy Diagnostics, report back in a timely manner any issues that need to be resolved.” Andy says their customers value their efforts. “Every time we finish a home, we hand/email the homeowner the HERS® rating and they really appreciate knowing the information! Going the extra mile to save our customers in the future is worth the extra time and money it takes to be energy efficient!” Read the full O’Connor Builders profile here.
