Energy efficient homes are becoming more and more popular to home buyers.  It may sound like it’s counter-intuitive because these homes can often be slightly higher priced, but there are a few reasons why prospective buyers lean towards an energy efficient household to call their home.  Energy efficiency can save you money, will help the environment, can help stimulate the economy and offers you a quality of life that you cannot expect from a home that is not energy efficient.

Energy Efficiency Saves You Money

The real no-brainer that comes with purchasing an energy efficient home, or converting a pre-existing home is the fact that you stand to save a lot of money, even when you factor in upfront costs.  Switching to Energy Star appliances is the most obvious way and can save you up to 30% on your energy bills.  An Energy Star refrigerator, for example, can save you around $165 in its lifetime compared to a standard model.  You may even qualify for tax rebates and credits depending on how energy efficient your home is and which state you live in.  Energy efficient houses can also garner higher resale values than standard homes.

Smaller steps can also be taken to pad your wallet thanks to being energy efficient.  If you keep your tires well inflated, you can actually save around $60 in gas per year.  That may sound like just a little bit in the grand scheme of things, but there are plenty of little steps around the house you can take to make sure you’re not spending money that you don’t need to spend.

Better For the Environment

Environmentally conscious homeowners are sure to love the fact that they are helping minimize their own carbon footprint when they choose a more energy efficient home.  The energy saved in the United States due to energy efficient technologies and policies is enough to power 12 states for an entire year.  Further, energy efficiency has an astounding effect on greenhouse gas emissions; the estimated amount of pollutant gases abated each year due to energy efficiency programs is the same amount that you would save if you removed all the cars and trucks in the U.S. from the roads for an entire year.

Improves the Economy

The energy efficiency industry not only brings money into the economy, it also helps produce jobs.  In 2010 alone, energy efficiency accounted for 830,000 jobs in the United States, and saves the American government and its taxpayers nearly $500 billion per year in energy costs.  As well, the strive for more energy efficiency has stimulated innovation, as efficiency becomes more commonplace in our everyday lives.

Increases Quality of Life

With energy-efficient homes, the house stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, thanks to proper insulation, which keeps you comfortable and happy.  Switch to longer-life light bulbs and you can rest assure that you won’t have to worry about replacing it for quite some time.  When you switch to energy-efficient appliances, you can trust that you will see benefits in your own creature comforts.

Energy efficiency has become more and more popular among homebuyers in recent years.  There are plenty of benefits to purchasing these types of homes and prospective buyers are taking advantage of the idea of saving money on their energy bills among other factors.