Your Guide To Buying an Energy Efficient Home

How To Ensure Your New Home Will Be Energy Efficient

Energy-efficiency wasn’t always at the top of the list for homebuyers. Sure, everyone likes to save money, but cutting down utility bills wasn’t top priority for most folks until energy costs began skyrocketing.

These days, prospective buyers want to know all about how they can get the most bang for their buck when it comes to energy costs, and buying a home that is already equipped to be energy-efficient can help them save big-time. Potential buyers of older model homes may have more questions about how feasible—and affordable—it would be to make energy-efficient upgrades in the home.
Whatever your situation, if energy efficiency in your new or new-to-you home is a priority, read on to learn more about what to look for, and what questions to ask.

What Specific Features Should You Look For?

1. Green building components: Renewable, “green” construction materials are those that have a negligible impact on the environment and a small or nonexistent carbon footprint. These products are less likely to end up in a landfill because they are recycled, produce less waste, and have a long lifespan. And because they’re built to last, they’ll save you money on repair, replacements, and upgrades.
2. Energy efficient home features: Everything from lighting to windows to appliances have energy-efficient options these days. Tankless water heaters are one of the most efficient appliances that can result in substantial savings, so it’s something to keep in mind when viewing and comparing properties.
3. Improved quality weatherstripping, sealants, and insulation: No matter the age of the property, look for new or upgraded materials that protect the home’s structure from the outside-in, and vice versa. The better the house is protected from temperate air escaping and freezing or sweltering air sneaking inside, the more energy-efficient it will be. Bonus points if these materials are made from renewable components, like roof cooling strips.
4. Energy-efficient appliances: Look for equipment certified highly by ENERGY STAR ®, a government program that promotes energy efficiency.
5. Programmable or smart thermostats: Programmable thermostats help you save energy by adhering to a set schedule, such as veering away from your preferred temperature, while you’re away at work. Smart thermostats go a step farther by self-adjusting, due to set parameters, such as the location data on your cell phone or vehicle. Imagine arriving home to a perfectly pre-heated (or cooled) house that hasn’t been wasting energy all day.

Benefits of Buying an Energy-Efficient Home

• Whopping ROI: One of the biggest benefits of purchasing an energy-efficient home is the return on investment you’ll see when and if you go to sell the property in the future.
• Lower utility bills: Not only will you see the investment come to fruition in terms of your home’s value, but you’ll also enjoy the impact on your energy bills—which may be reduced by close to a third in comparison.
• Incentives and rebates: You may also qualify for a special energy-efficient home mortgage or rebates on any appliance upgrades you choose.

Shopping for an Energy-Efficient Home

If finding the right energy-efficient home is important to you, it may require a little more research, patience, and consultation with the experts. Fortunately, there are many resources for eco-friendly homebuyers, such as:

• Energy-efficient home realtors: Look for a real estate agent who has experience and/or certification in finding and evaluating energy-efficient homes. Some realtors specialize in only “green” homes.
• Checkout green homebuying sites online: There may be a curated collection of energy-efficient homes for sale in your area.
• Consider a home energy audit: An energy audit can be a great way to make sure you’re aware of what certain upgrades are and are not worth.

Give Yourself the Power to Choose a Perfect Energy Plan

When you’ve selected your home and are ready to establish power to it, contact Discount Power to make the process completely hassle-free, so you can feel confident you’re finding the absolute best, most cost-effective way to “energize” your home! We make shopping for electricity and natural gas plans easy, with our competitive energy supply service across the Northeast United States.