What is Energy Star and What Does it Mean That My Home is Energy Star Certified?

Energy Star is a system of analysis which indicates whether a product or building qualifies as an energy efficient building that meets the current standards. The most commonly recognized association of the familiar star logo is found on appliances. Appliances that are able to operate under the standard for energy efficiency are given the logo to encourage consumers to make energy efficient choices.

Of course, you can also have your home Energy Star certified. This requires your home to reduce energy use and produce less waste than the maximum cut off. You can do this through insulation, window replacement, furnace replacement, and reduction in water consumption. When a home is able to provide the least amount of waste and use the least amount of resources possible it actually gains value on the market.

Homes that are Energy Star certified often sell for a higher asking price. Overall, the reduction in energy use means that the utility bills are lower and the toll on the environment is reduced. Many home buyers are searching out homes that have been built or upgraded to the current green standards for this very reason.

Of course, you do not have to be selling your home in order to benefit from making these improvements and becoming certified. Living in a house that has been certified is less expensive and much more comfortable. It is also an excellent way to help gauge the effectiveness of various improvements. If there are still improvement that can be made they will show up during the certification process.

The reduction of energy use throughout the home is becoming so vital to ensuring that the cost of living in that home is well maintained. It is no longer possible to expect the increase in cost of living expenses to be matched by cost of living raises. Rather, as fuel and energy prices continue to rise the most cost effective way to handle it is to make the improvements that reduce use and waste.

Saving energy and becoming Energy Star certified is also a great step to help preserve the natural environment. There are simply too many demands on the resources that are available. In order to reduce the demand everyone has to step in and do their share. In order to ensure that there are still resources left for other generations, the planet needs an immediate withdrawal on the assault it has been under for decades.