Say Yes to Affordable, Energy-Efficient Homes. Say No to Rubio #1237

Every three years, the government is required by law to update building standards across the US. So why haven’t they done so IN EIGHT YEARS? To make things worse, the government hasn’t updated our energy codes in FIFTEEN YEARS! These outrageously outdated standards mean that residents — especially those in lower-income households — are paying MORE for energy in homes that are LESS energy efficient.

Fortunately, the Biden Administration is taking steps to update the building codes for new federally-supported homes with modern energy efficiency standards. These new standards promise significant savings, averaging $14,536 over the life of a single-family home and over $5,000 per multifamily unit compared to current requirements.

But none of that will happen if Senator Marco Rubio gets his way. Rubio has proposed Amendment #1237 to H.R. 4366 that would eliminate the money-saving standards and continue to allow the construction of costly-to-maintain homes just as energy prices surge.

If enacted, Rubio #1237 would raise the cost of living for all of us, especially those who are most sensitive to rising prices, by increasing energy bills and leaving homes less safe in extreme weather for decades to come. This can’t happen.

Join us in opposing Rubio Amendment #1237 and advocating for updated energy efficiency standards on new construction.

Replace Outdated Construction with Efficiency!

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Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Chair Murray and Vice Chair Collins,

We, current and future homeowners from diverse communities across the United States, urgently request your opposition to Rubio’s Amendment #1237 to H.R. 4366 that would “prohibit the use of funds to implement the final rule regarding energy efficiency standards for certain subsidized housing.”

In May 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a “preliminary determination” to update the energy requirements for new federally supported homes. HUD and USDA found that adopting the proposed energy code, which the Rubio Amendment would cancel, saves an average of $14,536 in energy bills over the life of a single-family home, and over $5,000 in energy bills per multifamily unit compared to their current requirements.

Rubio #1237 would raise the total cost of living for families who are most sensitive to rising prices through higher and more volatile energy bills. Without the new energy standards, low-income households will unnecessarily endure decades of higher energy bills and homes that are less safe in the face of extreme heat and cold. Low-income households already bear significant energy cost burdens compared to higher income households, and this amendment will exacerbate these inequities.

The cost of the requirements is only 2% of the average cost of a new home under their programs, paying for itself in less than 3 years on average, and reducing the need for far more costly energy retrofits in the future.

For these reasons, we, the undersigned, oppose Rubio #1237 and urge you to vote no.