Sabrina Ross of Danbury, Conn., has much to be thankful for, including lower utility bills, since the Habitat for Humanity home she received the day before Thanksgiving was built to be energy efficient.

Single motherSabrina Rossof Danbury, Conn., has much to be thankful for, including lower utility bills, since the Habitat for Humanity home she received the day before Thanksgiving was built to be energy efficient.

The home’s foundation and frame was built with structural insulate panels ― SIPs ― to make it more affordable to heat. Also, boiler manufacturer Noritz donated a wall-hung natural gas boiler.

Members of the Danbury chapter of the Connecticut PHCC installed the home’s plumbing and heating system.

"Everything in this house is state of the art," said Peter Donnelly of Donnelly Heating Maintenance, and a past president of the Danbury PHCC. "It's super, super energy efficient. With energy prices rising so dramatically, and technology changing so much, it is imperative that contractors educate consumers about the value of upgrading their heating and a/c equipment."

For more information about Habitat for Humanity or PHCC, visit www.danburyhabitat.org or www.ct-phcc.org.