CertainTeed Corp. joined President Obama this March in Savannah, Ga., in support of the proposed HomeStar energy efficiency program. The program is designed to reduce existing home energy and utility bills, create jobs and increase economic spending.

The proposed program will establish a $6 billion rebate incentive to encourage immediate homeowner investment in energy-efficient appliances, windows, building mechanical systems and insulation, roofing and whole-home energy efficiency retrofits. The program will create construction and manufacturing jobs. Additionally, it will build on current state programs that use federal standards and incentives to increase consumer awareness and help save homeowners money.

According to a recent study from Cornell University, if all existing homes and buildings were retrofitted to 2009 building codes, including upgrading systems and improving transportation and industrial energy, we could eliminate 32 quads of energy over the next 10 years. This is equivalent to the amount of oil imported into the United States each year.