To most families, living in a tent for four months to build your dream home would seem too steep of a sacrifice.

Not for Jeff Williams and his family.

Williams had been contemplating building his new home early in 2020, and when he was laid off in March, he felt the push and “promptly got on YouTube” to learn how to make his dream a reality.

The only thing he knew was that he wanted it to be as energy efficient as possible.

While he contracted out the work for the shell of his home, he, with the help of his family, did the framing, insulation, wiring and more.

Williams did all of this with no background in this line of work, learning it all online, while he and his family lived in the woods of the 8-acre property he previously owned in rural Churubusco. 

When it came time to install electrical service for the 2,560-square-foot home, an encounter with Noble REMC Energy Advisor Brian Hawk about the advantages of a Power Moves^® Home piqued Williams’ interest and his idea of going as close to “zero energy” as possible.

With the circumstances of the past year, Williams was motivated to plan for his future — whatever that may entail.

“When I’m older and on a fixed income, I don’t want to have large energy costs,” Williams said. “I care about the environment, but the bottom line matters too.”

He said if others knew the benefits of going through the Power Moves Home program, they would sign up too.

Williams found the program an easy process, describing it as “filling out some forms, checking some boxes,” and when he went in for a meeting, it fit with what he wanted for his four-bedroom, three-bathroom pole barn post frame home.

“If [people] knew the facts — there’s a specific amount of money you could 

spend now and save in the future — if they recognized that, they would do it.”

After Hawk congratulated him on his Power Moves Home designation with his certificate and a check with his cash back rebate, all Williams could express was his gratitude.

“This is a big help. Thank you,” Williams said.

But for Hawk, he was the one who was grateful. 

“Noble REMC’s mission is to provide affordable and reliable electricity to our members, and those who make energy- efficient choices help in that endeavor,” said Hawk.

What is a Power Moves Home?

The Power Moves Home program is changing the way builders and homeowners think about energy efficiency. Homes built to the program’s standards are typically 30% more efficient than a traditional home and 79% more efficient than a typical resale home. That means they use less energy, cost less to live in, and are more comfortable all year long. And you and your contractor could also receive cash back for your energy efficient choices!

First, we’ll meet with your builder to discuss the program requirements. Next, a HOME ENERGY RATING SYSTEM^® (HERS) rater is assigned to the project to verify these requirements are met before and during construction. Finally, you’ll receive a full energy-efficiency report that includes a HERS rating for your home. All of this is provided for free to homeowners and builders, and, of course, you can be involved every step of the way!

Learn more at powermoves.com, under the “Energy Efficiency” tab.