SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Homes (NYSE: MTH), a leading U.S. homebuilder, today announced it has received the 2019 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
For seven consecutive years, Meritage has been honored by the EPA for continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency advancements. Meritage was also recognized for the ninth year as a leader in the EPA’s ENERGY STAR for Homes Program.
“Meritage believes families deserve homes that are thoughtfully designed and built. Through key partnerships like the one we have with ENERGY STAR, Meritage continues to incorporate industry-leading innovation and serve as a trusted expert in the homebuilding industry,” said C.R. Herro, Vice President of Innovation for Meritage Homes. “We consider it our responsibility to deliver homes that promote health, comfort, and enduring value at a lower total cost.”
With guidance and support from the ENERGY STAR program, Meritage Homes set and achieved many sustainability goals last year, including:
- Completing 8,531 ENERGY STAR certified homes in 2018, which are estimated to save more than 78 million kilowatt hours of electricity, eliminate more than 119 million pounds of carbon dioxide, and reduce homeowner utility bills by about $9.4 million.
- Achieving an average Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index Score of 55 for all homes rated in 2018.
- Educating buyers on how to discern better building practices through Meritage’s traditional marketing, new website and social media platforms.
- Allowing consumers, municipalities, students, trades and vendors to see the inner workings of the home, experience hands-on interactive displays, and view educational videos at more than 180 learning centers across the country.
- Hosting training days and annual meetings to discuss Meritage’s commitment to advanced building practices and to ensure compliance with ENERGY STAR’s standards.
- Partnering with Avid Ratings to monitor customer satisfaction and promote customer service as a critical component in the ENERGY STAR for Homes business model.
“I applaud the 2019 ENERGY STAR award winners,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum. “Their innovation and leadership enhance America’s economic competitiveness. Reducing costly energy waste improves air quality and public health while protecting the environment.”
Meritage Homes will be honored for its accomplishments in Washington, D.C. on April 11. The 2019 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Awards applauds organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. These awards recognize ongoing leadership across the ENERGY STAR program, including energy-efficient products, services, new homes, and buildings in the commercial, industrial and public sectors.
For a complete list of 2019 winners and information, and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit www.energystar.gov/awardwinners.
ABOUT MERITAGE HOMES CORPORATION
Meritage Homes is the seventh-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2018. Meritage offers a variety of homes that are designed with a focus on first-time and first move-up buyers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The Company has designed and built over 120,000 homes in its 33-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and positive customer experience. Meritage is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award every year since 2013 for innovation and industry leadership in energy efficient homebuilding.
For more information, visit www.meritagehomes.com.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions.
Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped save American families and businesses nearly 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and associated reductions of over 3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases. In 2017 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans save $30 billion in energy costs.
More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at: energystar.gov/about and energystar.gov/numbers.
Contacts
Meritage Homes Corporation
Brent Anderson, 972-580-6360
VP Investor Relations
media@meritagehomes.com