energy-efficient custom home in Cheyenne, Wyoming

7 Energy-Efficient Features of a Gateway Home That Save Money

Americans across the country are experiencing a higher-than-normal spike in household energy costs this winter, which can be blamed on colder weather and higher prices for natural gas, heating oil and propane. With energy costs on the rise, nearly everyone is looking for ways to cut these expenses without giving up comfort. At Gateway Construction, LLC, we guarantee our homeowners will have an energy-efficient, comfortable home. How do our “home builders near me” do this? Read on to learn more!

Built-In Home Efficiency

All Gateway homes are constructed with a complete thermal enclosure system for comfort and lower utility bills, a highly efficient HVAC system designed and installed for optimal performance, and a comprehensive moisture management system to protect the building envelope from water vapor intrusion. We use a whole-house approach to cost-effectively increase energy savings.

During the construction process, our “home builders near me” start with 2×6 exterior framing, using advanced techniques to reduce thermal bridging between the inside and outside. We install R21 insulation on exterior framed walls and R11 insulation on select interior walls to control heat transfer and reduce sound transfer from room to room. In addition, we add a minimum of R49 blown-in fiberglass insulation in the attic. Blown-in insulation fills all the small gaps between existing wall studs and ceiling joists to stop energy from escaping. All these extras, combined with the careful sealing of penetrations and potential air leaks, mean very little heat can leak out of a Gateway home and very little cold air can get in. In Wyoming’s colder climate, less draftiness means you will save money, year after year!

Next, we wrap our homes in a synthetic, moisture-resistant yet breathable material that creates a weather barrier while allowing the water vapor generated by daily living to escape. Think of this as a topcoat for your home. It breaks the wind and keeps wood components dry. Although wood has a proven history of durability, it must be protected from prolonged moisture to last the lifetime of the structure.

Cutting-Edge Components

Our homes feature double-pane Low-E windows. Low-E glass is manufactured by applying an extremely thin metallic layer to the side of the glass that faces out. This allows a window to reflect unwanted solar energy without affecting visibility from inside the home. Windows can be a cause of heat loss in the winter months and heat gain in the summer months, but these specialized windows ensure high performance by reducing heat transfer, maintaining uniform interior temperatures and lowering overall energy costs.

For additional savings, every Gateway home features a high-efficiency water heater and LED lighting. This yields significant operating cost reductions. We are so confident in the energy efficiency of our homes, we even hire an independent third-party inspector to rate each build’s energy efficiency. This is known as a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Index.

A Thermostat That Can Think

Did you know that your thermostat controls nearly half of your energy bill? Due to Gateway’s commitment to building energy-efficient homes, we’ve selected what we think is the “smartest” product available to help our clients save their hard-earned money. Our homes feature the Nest Learning Thermostat. With a Nest thermostat installed, you can keep more money in your pocket!

While technologically advanced devices sometimes create hassle due to the learning curve and frustration with operating a new product, this doesn’t hold true for the Nest. There is very little programming involved — it does it for you! The Nest will learn your schedule and temperature preference patterns and program itself, and even guide you by displaying a leaf icon when you choose a setting that saves energy. It will automatically lower the temperature when nobody is home, further saving on energy costs.

The Nest thermostat connects to a home’s Wi-Fi, allowing you to control the temperature from your smartphone, laptop or tablet, anywhere in the world. When you keep your Nest connected to Wi-Fi, it will also allow updates to be automatically uploaded so you always have the most current features. Other great features of the Nest include the ability to check your energy history in the Nest app to see how much energy you are using and when. The Nest also provides useful tips to help you save even more. When your Nest senses you across the room, it will light up the display to show you the temperature, time or even the weather. If you have Google Home installed, you can pair it with the Nest and control it using your voice.

In independent studies, the Nest thermostat saved homeowners an average of 10-12 percent on heating bills and 15 percent on cooling costs.

nest learning thermostat

Work With the Most Experienced ‘Home Builders Near Me’

At Gateway Construction, our expert team takes great pride in the products we build. We are confident you will be pleased with all the highly efficient, money-saving features included in a new Gateway home. As technology changes, so do we! To learn more about the products and services our “home builders near me” offer, give us a call at (307) 632-8950 or contact us online to speak to a member of our sales team. We offer new homes for sale in Cheyenne’s most popular communities or we can design and build a custom home from the ground up.

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Builder Incentives available for a limited time!

Get Up to $25K Off New Homes

New price cuts plus up to $25K in builder incentives on most completed single-family homes! Beat the summer homebuying rush — choose a price reduction or mortgage rate buydown. Contact our sales team today for more information on this limited-time offer!