LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KB Home (NYSE: KBH) today announced that its commitment to building exceptionally water-efficient homes has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a record 11th consecutive year. KB Home is the first and only homebuilder to receive the WaterSense® Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition given by EPA’s WaterSense program.
“Our WaterSense partners make saving water possible by educating consumers and businesses about WaterSense and water-efficient behaviors,” said Veronica Blette, WaterSense Program Manager. “The commitment of KB Home and our award-winning partners to water conservation during 2020 helped consumers save water, energy and money on their utility bills at a time when they needed it most.”
WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by EPA, is both a label for water-efficient products and homes and a resource for helping consumers learn ways to save water. Since the program started in 2006, WaterSense labeled products have helped consumers and businesses save 5.3 trillion gallons of water — enough water to supply all households in the United States with water for 200 days.
“KB Home is honored to be recognized by the EPA for a record 11th consecutive year for our continued leadership in supporting water conservation,” said, Jeffery Mezger, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of KB Home. “KB Home was the first national builder to participate in the WaterSense program because we understood that this approach would not only lower the total cost of homeownership but also enhance the lives of our homeowners and help save this precious natural resource.”
KB Home continues to champion the important role EPA’s WaterSense program plays in helping to both lower its buyers’ monthly utility costs and minimize their carbon footprint and energy usage. To date, KB Home has built over 17,000 WaterSense labeled and Water Smart homes — more than any other homebuilder — and installed over 800,000 WaterSense labeled fixtures. The company estimates that its homes conserve approximately 1.6 billion gallons of water annually.
In July 2020, KB Home became the first builder to certify homes using EPA’s new WaterSense Labeled Homes Program, Version 2.0 and RESNET®’s HERS-H20® water rating system. The program was piloted in the Las Vegas area, and preliminary field data collected by EPA confirms that homeowners are seeing significant savings. On average, KB Home’s WaterSense labeled homes use just 41,000 gallons of water per year compared to typical homes in the region, which can use 100,000 gallons a year or more.
In addition to being a leader in building water-efficient homes, KB Home is the #1 energy-efficient national homebuilder and has built over 150,000 ENERGY STAR® certified new homes, more than any other builder, delivering a level of advanced energy efficiency met by fewer than 10% of new homes built in America. The homebuilder goes beyond EPA requirements by ensuring that every ENERGY STAR certified KB home has been tested and verified by a third-party inspector to meet EPA’s strict certification standards. ENERGY STAR certified homes are, on average, up to 20% more efficient than homes built to code, help lower the cost of ownership and are designed to be healthier, more comfortable and better for the environment than homes without certification.
KB Home is the only national builder to have earned awards under all of EPA’s homebuilder programs, including ENERGY STAR, WaterSense and Indoor airPLUS, which focuses on indoor air quality. The company’s sustainability leadership was recognized by Newsweek®, with the company being the only homebuilder named to the national publication’s prestigious 2021 list of America’s Most Responsible Companies.
For more information on KB Home’s sustainability initiatives, visit kbhome.com/sustainability.
For more information on WaterSense, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
About KB Home
KB Home is one of the largest and most recognized homebuilders in the United States and has built over 650,000 quality homes in our more than 60-year history. Today, KB Home operates in 45 markets from coast to coast. What sets KB Home apart is the exceptional personalization we offer our homebuyers—from those buying their first home to experienced buyers—allowing them to make their home uniquely their own, at a price that fits their budget. As the leader in energy-efficient homebuilding, KB Home was the first builder to make every home it builds ENERGY STAR® certified, a standard of energy performance achieved by fewer than 10% of new homes in America and has built more ENERGY STAR certified homes than any other builder. An energy-efficient KB home helps lower the cost of ownership and is designed to be healthier, more comfortable and better for the environment than new homes without certification. We build strong, personal relationships with our customers, so they have a real partner in the homebuying process. As a result, we have the distinction of being the #1 customer-ranked national homebuilder in third-party buyer satisfaction surveys. Learn more about how we build homes built on relationships by visiting kbhome.com.
About WaterSense
WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is both a label for water-efficient products and a resource for water-saving tips. The WaterSense label is a simple way for consumers to identify water-efficient products, new homes, and landscape irrigation professionals. WaterSense labeled products use at least 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models. Visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
