It’s officially Winter, and I found a way to heat my apartment for free! Of course it involves coincidence and an overheated restaurant below my apartment, so it’s not scalable. For those of you who don’t live over people unwittingly heating your home, and are interested in conserving energy (and money), below are some resources that a coworker recently shared with me.
Before you can devise an energy saving plan with any efficacy, you should determine how your home uses energy. The U.S. Department of Energy provides a way to determine your Home’s Energy Score. Each Home Energy Score Report includes recommendations for the most cost and energy efficient changes to your home.
REALTORS® can use this information professionally, too. The U.S. Department of Energy has compiled a Real Estate Professionals Fact Sheet that explains how to use this information to sell listings and inform clients. There’s data that proves homes that disclose energy costs sell faster than those that do not. Homebuyers want the effects of an energy efficient home: low utility bills, higher property value, and a smaller environmental impact.
NAR Library has compiled a Field Guide to Resource Efficient Homes complete with articles on green remodeling options, green habits, and links to agencies and councils working to inform consumers and improve the environment overall.
Keep in touch and informed: Follow Information Services on Twitter (@asknar) and Facebook (NAR Information Services). Contact us next time you have a research project or question toll-free at 800.874.6500, informationservices@realtors.org, Skype narinfoservices, or text AskNAR to 66746.
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