Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

Brunswick County, NC Green home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes has previously blogged on the benefits of making your home more energy efficient. One very integral step in ensuring this is to get a home energy audit. When building our Energy Star home in Wilmington, NC we utilized the services of Above and Beyond Energy in Wilmington, NC, a third-party independent company that strives to help homeowners minimize their home’s carbon footprint through improved efficiency and durability. CNNMoney.com’s Steve Hargreaves published an article today detailing energy audits, including what to look for in an energy contractor. Below is an excerpt and to read the complete article, click here!

“The average American home wastes a lot of energy.

A complete energy retrofit – which could include caulking and insulation as well as new windows, appliances and boiler, could slice a home’s energy consumption in half, according to Lane Burt, manager of building energy policy at Natural Resources Defense Council.

But getting all that work done might run into the tens of thousands of dollars. And any new federal program – which is still being drafted and is not guaranteed to become law – would cap the government reimbursements at $12,000, said Burt.

Homeowners need not despair. There are some simple improvements that are relatively cheap and can pay for themselves quickly.

Just adding the insulation, caulking and lights might run an average homeowner $5,000 to $7,000, he said. That could shave about 30% off a home’s energy bill each month. And if the government picks up half the cost, the payback time for homeowners would be just a few years.”

Jacksonville, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages all of our readers to understand why energy efficient homes are important to the environment, human health and land resources. When building our Energy Star home in Wilmington, NC we utilized the services of Above and Beyond Energy in Wilmington, NC, a third-party independent company that strives to help homeowners minimize their home’s carbon footprint through improved efficiency and durability.

We’d also like to share a recent article from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Home Guide by Wisconsin Green Building Alliance member Tate Walker in which he outlined the reasons homeowners should be aware of energy efficiencies. Below are the points he addressed and to read the complete article, click here!

What are the environmental costs of energy waste in U.S. homes?
Can you scale the big picture down to the homeowner’s perspective?
What are the health benefits of more energy-efficient homes?
What are some of your favorite innovations or design ideas for energy efficiency?
What got you interested in green remodeling?