Building a home where the sewage leaks into the street or the electrical connections create a neighborhood fire hazard is prohibited by the uniform building codes that are adopted by states and localities across the civilized world. Those standards evolve as technology progresses.

There is no good reason why Utah should be behind the times in abiding by the new normal of energy-efficient home building practices. Yet the bill to adopt the latest version of the International Residential Code has come out of the House of Representatives with a needless exception that will cost homeowners, and the whole of the planet, a lot more than they will save by skimping on building costs.

Before being submitted to the Legislature, the latest edition of the code, from 2009, was appropriately run through the panel for such things — the Uniform Building Code Commission. That body recommended acceptance of the latest version, which only assumes the force of law in Utah if ratified by the Legislature.

But, in keeping with its habit of shaking off advice from the state's own experts, the House went out of its way to insert two lines in the legislation — HB203 — that would mandate a throwback to the standards of the 2006 energy code.

What is omitted by this addition is a handful of updates that set as minimal standards for building new homes upgrades in insulation, lighting fixtures, windows and, perhaps most important, standards by which heating and cooling systems are not only to be installed, but tested for efficiency.

A homeowner can invest in state-of-the-art heating and cooling equipment, but if the ducts that deliver the warm and cool air to all parts of the house are not installed properly, it will all be a waste of money. And energy.

While the home builders of Utah have apparently leaned on their friends in the House to void this section of the law, claiming it would push the cost of construction far too high, independent experts have calculated that the cost to homeowners for meeting the new standards would be less than $1,000. And homeowners would get that back in reduced utility costs in very short order.

Adopting the higher standard is a step supported by various cities, utilities and professional groups, in addition to the usual suspects in the environmental movement. If the Senate isn't willing to fix this flaw, which could be difficult with so little time left in the session, it should at least refer the matter for a serious look in an interim committee and return next session.

Utah should keep to the code.