How to Make Homes More Energy Efficient

Have your clients ever been part of a “thermostat war” in their households? Maybe one of them thinks the office is too cold, but the other is way too warm in the game room downstairs—so they go back and forth a degree or two for the entire weekend.

How to make homes more Energy Efficient

This is more than just a comfort issue, says Cynthia Adams: It’s a sign their home may not be energy efficient. Taking action to fix it can help the planet, save them money, and cut down on their temperature territory troubles.

Cynthia, the co-founder of Pearl Home Certification, has been in the energy efficiency business for nearly 20 years. After she and her husband renovated a 1770s home, she realized that energy efficiency is as much about indoor air quality as it is about lower energy bills. “Many of us put up with our homes instead of recognizing we don’t have to live like that,” she says. A well-built, energy-efficient home is a comfortable home, a healthy home, and a convenient home.

One of the least-understood home improvements, Cynthia says, is air sealing. Most people’s minds go to windows and doors when they think about making their homes less permeable to outside environments, but that’s not really where the biggest bang for your buck is. Rather, she says, it’s a matter of sealing where the foundation meets the walls of your house, or the walls meet the roof. That will keep warm air from escaping out the top of your home and cool air from seeping into the bottom—making your home a better environment overall. “You can think of a home like a body,” says Cynthia. “It’s composed of different systems, and those systems work together. We typically recommend that homeowners who have comfort problems or high bills consult with a professional who thinks of the house from a whole-home perspective.” When a house is insulated and sealed properly, owners can then install a smaller heating and cooling system. The downsizing of equipment might lead to fancier systems, which in turn improve air quality or comfort.

Heating and cooling themselves are important. If an air conditioning duct runs through a poorly sealed 140-degree attic, it’s going to take more energy to keep that air cool, costing more money and draining valuable natural resources.

Every little bit helps. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that most homeowners can achieve 20% savings on energy bills through cost-effective measures, such as switching out the lighting in their homes from traditional bulbs to LEDs, improving their insulation and air sealing, or purchasing smart thermometers or ENERGY STAR ® -rated appliances.

All these steps add up to real results—not just in a monthly bill, but in a home’s value. Today’s buyers, Cynthia says, want energy-efficient homes. Millennial buyers, in particular, think of energy efficiency as common sense in terms of sustainability. After all, the Department of Energy estimates that buildings in the United States account for about 40 percent of the country’s total energy use. “The largest group of homebuyers these days believes in walking the talk,” says Cynthia. “They want homes that represent their values.” Cynthia also points out that many residential codes require new homes to meet certain energy standards. If a home was built before those codes were passed, it’s going to have to compete on the market with what is becoming industry standard.

“Our appraiser studies have consistently shown the same thing: There is anywhere from a three to nine percent increase in home value when sellers identify, document, and explain to buyers the homes’ high-performing energy features,” says Cynthia.

For sellers, she recommends certification by a third party to validate a home’s efficiency. She also recommends explaining to prospective buyers why high-efficiency homes are going to cost less to own and operate. Buyers with infants may want reassurance that their babies will be cozy in an upstairs bedroom and not exposed to drafts.

On the buying side, Cynthia recommends REALTORS ® engage buyers on sets of questions that go beyond school districts and commute times. “Did your last house have funny smells?” she recommends asking. “Were the heating bills bad?” Questions like these can encourage buyers to think about how investing in energy efficiency can improve their experiences in the long term.

Plus, for people living on the edge of paying a mortgage bill, she points out, finding an efficient home is a kind of insurance policy. “A hot summer or cold winter won’t cause an unexpected spike in energy bills,” she says.

Cynthia says that Pearl has an app called Certify My Home, which agents can use to pre-qualify a listing for certification. It can help REALTORS ® identify a house that is worthy of a potential certification— which in turn can help them market it better, price it better, and sell it better.

“There are things you can do to raise the bar for your professionalism and reputation,” she says, and focusing on energy efficiency is among them.

“I always say that real estate agents have an important role to play in climate change,” Cynthia says. “Many of them just don’t know it yet.”