<div>COLUMBIA — A new energy code approved by Columbia City Council on Monday could change how much it costs to build and buy a home, affecting how much homeowners spend each month on energy usage.City Council voted unanimously to approve the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, replacing the city's current 2018 energy code. But the new requirements won’t take effect until April 1.The code is designed to make new homes more energy efficient, which is expected to reduce the amount of energy homeowners use. But construction and real estate professionals told City Council the upfront cost of meeting those requirements could make some new homes more expensive.The city's Climate and Environment Commission met Tuesday night to discuss the new code and its implementation.The chair of the Columbia Climate and Environment Commission said the main thing residents should be aware of is they likely won't see any physical changes to their homes or businesses they regularly attend."A lot of this code's changes are with things that you wouldn't notice (are) there unless you open up a wall in your house," Chair Abby Dickinson said.For homeowners, the new building requirements are expected to affect only new construction rather than requiring existing homes to immediately make upgrades.The city's analysis estimates an 1,800-square-foot, all-electric home built under the 2024 code would have annual energy savings of about $125 per year, or roughly $10 a month.Dickinson said the main code change that will help owners save money lies in stricter ductwork regulations."It is just making sure that air conditioning isn't seeping through your walls and places that you don't want it to, and escaping your home and costing you more money," Dickinson said.According to a City Council memo, the city's analysis estimated that adopting the 2024 code could add about $8,000 to $12,000 to the cost it takes to build a typical single-family home, while another estimate presented to council put the increase at $3,000 to $4,200.For potential home buyers, real estate agents say those additional costs could affect how affordable it is for first-time buyers looking to move to Columbia, as these new codes will apply to all homes and buildings built past April 1, 2027."This is not only about the upfront cost of the house, but also about the costs that are incurred by the homeowner over the duration of them living there in terms of their energy bills," Dickinson said.The tradeoff is the total cost of living in a house under these new codes over time, as more energy-efficient homes are expected and built to use less energy for heating and cooling over time, saving the owner money in turn.The council approved three amendments to the code involving renewable energy systems, load management requirements and duct-system testing. Other proposed amendments involving ventilation, lighting and thermal-envelope requirements did not pass.Not all six amendments recommended to the city were approved, a tactic Dickinson said keeps Columbia's best interests in mind."Something that these amendments sought to do is not only to make sure that these codes were feasible for Columbia, but for our specific position with what our utility has the capacity to do," Dickinson said.</div>

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COLUMBIA — A new energy code approved by Columbia City Council on Monday could change how much it costs to build and buy a home, affecting how much homeowners spend each month on energy usage. City Council voted unanimously to approve the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, replacing the...

New Columbia energy code could affect home prices and utility costs

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COLUMBIA — A new energy code approved by Columbia City Council on Monday could change how much it costs to build and buy a home, affecting how much homeown

New Columbia energy code could affect home prices and utility costs

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