Homes and apartments that are energy-efficient — including Energy Star-certified homes — have sale premiums of 2% to 8% in most markets, according to Energy Star.
The scoop
The report covered results from numerous studies conducted over the past decade, including the largest national study in which economists from Freddie Mac found a 2.7% average sales price premium for single-family homes that were rated energy-efficient.
This study also found that the more efficient a home was, the higher the premium percentage for the sale. Higher efficiency homes sold for a 3% to 5% premium compared to lower efficiency homes.
You can start making your home more efficient with a few easy steps. First, upgrade old lighting. LEDs use up to 90% less electricity than traditional bulbs.
Next, upgrade your appliances. More efficient appliances, including heat pumps, washers and dryers, and induction stoves, use improved technology to cut down on power use.
To enhance efficiency even further, upgrade your house or apartment to a smart home, and control your power usage from the palm of your hand.
Weatherizing your home is another impactful upgrade to increase energy efficiency. Installing better insulation and fixing air leaks around windows and doors can keep your home at a more comfortable temperature while using less power.
For more information and to start your application process for Energy Star certification, visit the Energy Star website.
How it's working
Other local and regional studies had similar findings to the one conducted by Freddie Mac. In Maryland from 2012 to 2015, Energy Star-certified homes had a 2% to 5% sales price premium.
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Under $1K 😎 Similarly, Energy Star-certified homes in Austin and Round Rock, Texas, sold between 2009 and 2016 had an average price premium of 6%. Certified energy-efficient homes in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington had sale price premiums of up to 8%, a 2015 study found.
Across the board, researchers found that homeowners who put their properties up for sale were able to get more money if their houses and apartments were rated energy-efficient homes.
Higher energy efficiency also reduces power bills and helps the environment since it lowers the pollution output from your home.
Electrifying your home — and vehicle — is one of the best ways to save money while helping the environment. Organizations such as WattBuy and Arcadia can help you find clean energy solutions for your home to cut down power bills and pollution even more.
Rewiring America, another great resource, has free tools to help people navigate available tax incentives and find contractors, making upgrading your home way cheaper.
What people are saying
"It is everything that my husband and I expected it to be, but the best part of living here is that we save a great amount of money on energy costs," Energy Star-certified homeowner Angelica Ouameur told Energy Star. "Thanks to that, our family is saving and able to plan for our future."
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