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Each year the weather is a little more unpredictable. The earth’s natural resources are a little more limited. As a result, the cost of utility bills seem a lot higher! However you can lower your energy bills and help make up for what past generations have done to the environment by choosing a green home as your next real estate purchase. Home builders are aware of the issues affecting our environment, and as such they are using more and more eco-friendly processes and materials to build new homes. After all, the country’s structures take up about forty percent of the total consumption of energy coast to coast and about three-fifths of the electrical usage. Living in a green home constructed with environmentally friendly materials has so many benefits beyond energy savings. First of all, a green home is more comfortable. Because the temperature is better regulated inside the home, it is more comfortable throughout the year. The next benefit of green homes is your family’s health. Less chemicals in the materials used to construct your family’s home and cosmetically enhance the inside of it means there is less risk that someone who lives in the home will suffer an allergic reaction to the materials. Choose non-toxic paints and other materials guaranteed to have low-VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds. Another benefit of purchasing a home made with eco-friendly materials is that they have less of an impact on hardwood trees and rainforests. Hardwoods like oak, maple, and so forth take a long time to grow. Once cut, they do not grow back quickly. Bamboo and cork, on the other hand, grow at a high rate of speed and look beautiful as a natural, environmentally friendly floorcovering. Once you move into your green home, keep the momentum going when you choose Energy Star® appliances. Unlike models used by previous generations, these kitchen, bath, and laundry must-haves use less natural resources like water and energy. In the meantime, they offer the same superior quality and performance that homeowners are used to enjoying. And finally, round out your green home with eco-friendly habits. For example, you can encourage your family to start turning off lights when you leave the room, taking shorter showers, and putting your sprinklers on a timer to water the lawn for a short bit of time in the early morning or late evening, when the sun is less likely to burn the lawn. A green home is more than a real estate purchase. It is an investment in your family’s future for their healthy well-being and everyday lifestyle. Ask your home builder how to go green in your new home.