Whether you are buying a new or existing home, the ENERGY STAR program, a joint effort by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency and others, can help you save energy, money and the environment.

ENERGY STAR is a unique program that strives to "prevent pollution by helping consumers buy products that use less energy." The program offers certifications on homes and appliances. The advantage for you is identifying savings that may allow you to upgrade an existing home or build a new home with energy-efficient methods and appliances that will lower operating costs. You can also qualify for special benefits such as an energy-efficient mortgage or special rebates. And there is also that warm fuzzy feeling that you'll have for aiding the environment.

ENERGY STAR-rated homes

The ENERGY STAR program offers ENERGY STAR certifications for new homes through two avenues - third-party inspections by raters using the highest home energy rating system (HERS) standards, or through Builder Option Packages ratings obtained through climate zone specifications.

HERS inspections

A HERS inspection is a standard way to measure a home's energy efficiency. HERS ratings are provided through state-sponsored programs which train third-party verifiers, or raters, to rate homes through an energy "inspection." Home energy raters are trained by the state as part of the program and these professionals will look at the home's "insulation levels, window efficiency, wall-to-window ratios, the heating and cooling system efficiency, the solar orientation of the home, and the water heating system." The information gathered by the home energy rater is then put into a computer program and translated into points, and an estimate of the home's energy costs can also be provided, in most cases.

Builder Option Packages ratings

A Builder Option Package represents "a set of construction specifications for a specific climate zone." BOPs specify performance levels for "the thermal envelope, insulation, windows, orientation, HVAC system and water heating efficiency for a specific climate zone that meet the standard. The EPA has divided the U.S. territories into 19 separate climate zones for this purpose.

To earn the ENERGY STAR label, a home must be verified to be at least 30 percent more energy-efficient in its heating, cooling and water heating than a comparable home built to the 1993 Model Energy Code (MEC), and 15 percent more efficient than the state energy code, says the site.

Older homes

While there is plenty of opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of an existing home, it is more difficult to bring an older home to the standards that would qualify it for certification, says the site, but it is recommended that you have a HERS inspection so that you will be able to make improvements that will save energy and money and help the environment.

ENERGY STAR-rated mortgages

If you are buying a new home and need a mortgage, many private mortgage lenders offer discounted down payments or interest rates for the purchase of ENERGY STAR-certified homes. The site provides a convenient link to such lenders. Not all states offer the program, but a list is provided of the states that do.

ENERGY STAR-labeled appliances

You will have all-new appliances in your new home, but will those appliances be more or less costly to operate? Shop for appliances that bear the EnergyGuide label which is on most new appliances. All appliances must meet minimum federal standards for energy efficiency, but not all products are labeled, including clothes dryers, microwaves, and kitchen ranges, because tests have shown little difference in operating costs between brand models, says the DOE. The label will tell you approximately how much it will cost to operate the appliance, and it even compares average operating costs to other models. The higher the number, the less it costs to operate. When choosing appliances, review costs and EnergyGuide labels.

At the top of the range (pardon the pun) of energy-efficient appliances are those that have earned the ENERGY STAR.

ENERGY STAR-rated appliances exceed federal energy-efficiency standards by as little as 13 percent and as much as 110 percent, according to the site, saving owners as much as 30 percent of their energy bills, says the EPA.

The DOE and EPA provide a convenient shopping site for ENERGY STAR-rated appliances.

To find partners of the program, click here.

Published: July 7, 2003

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.