GREEN BUILDING SAVES HOMEOWNERS BIG TIME: THE OBVIOUS AND NOT-SO-OBVIOUS SAVINGS OF A GREEN HOME

Modern homeowners are driving construction trends towards greener and greener approaches and materials. But the savvy homeowner knows that it’s not just to ease the conscience and be part of building a better world. One of the biggest reasons to own a home that has been built with environmentally friendly construction practices is cost savings.
Let’s examine several ways that green building practices will save you big in the long run.

WATER USAGE SAVINGS FROM ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRACTICES
Water savings alone from green practices can run into hundreds of dollars per year. Over the lifetime of a home that translates into thousands of dollars.
To get the most bang for your buck in green practices that lead to water savings, consider the following:

• Energy Star compliant washing machines and dishwashers. Efficient appliances can reduce water usage by as much as 40% versus many of the appliances that were built pre-1995.
• Greywater systems. A grey water system not only reduces your water usage it also reduces your heating or cooling bill because of the heat transfer that occurs when you drain your water into a sewer system.
• Low flow fixtures. Faucet and shower heads that use modern design principles provide nearly the same rinsing effect at a far lower usage rate.
• Leak reduction. Many fixtures and plumbing systems are built with leak reduction in mind. The likelihood of avoiding costly faucet leaks is a solid way to lower that monthly water bill.

ELECTRICITY SAVINGS: THE BIG MONEY SAVER IN GREEN HOMES
When it comes to the savings from a green home, it is usually electricity savings that provide the most smiles for your bank account. Electricity is often the biggest utility cost for a homeowner. Reducing it by a quarter, half or even more means upfront investments pay out big over time.
The single biggest long-term payout will come from installing solar or another low-to-no-cost electricity source. The payback time for most solar systems is between five and ten years after state and federal rebates. After that, you’ve paid off the cost of installation and any reduction in your electric bill goes straight to your pocketbook.
What’s more home values are increased and resale is usually quicker for a home that has solar installed.
Adding Energy Star appliances, LED light bulbs and smart home energy monitoring can also lead to substantial savings.

INSULATION: KEEPING THOSE HEATING AND COOLING COSTS DOWN
​The right insulation is the best insulation, especially for homes in climates with more extreme winter or summer temperatures. Did you know that for a home in Western New York that is 3000 square feet savings calculations for average insulation vs high-efficiency ready insulation could translate into over $500 per year in savings?

WATER HEATING: THE SAVINGS ADD UP
The water heater you choose and the green practices you add to I can go a long way towards helping the environment and saving for that family vacation. Water heating whether by gas or electric is a common oversight from homeowners looking to drive long-term savings from efficiency.
Whether you install a heat trap, improve the insulation on your heater or even consider on-demand heating systems for your home, there is almost always a green-friendly option that will be friendlier for the environment while lowering bills.

THE DURABILITY OF A GREEN HOME
One of the most often overlooked ways that a green home will save you money is in maintenance and upkeep. Green home construction is synonymous with durability, long lifetime, and low maintenance.
It could be weather and UV resistant exterior sidings, resilient and long-life flooring, low maintenance finishes or a variety of other green-friendly construction practices. Thinking for the long-term when you select how your home was made can be one of the most earth-friendly and at the same time financially sound decisions you make.

*Green Building Saves Homeowners Big Time: The Obvious and Not-So-Obvious Savings of  A Green Home (Dec. 26, 2018). Natale Builders. Retrieved from, https://www.natalebuilders.com/blog/green-building-saves-homeowners-big-time-the-obvious-and-not-so-obvious-savings-of-a-green-home