Home buying is complex enough without having to know all the details of energy-efficient construction. Instead, look for the government-backed ENERGY STAR® label to easily identify homes that are truly energy efficient. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes. Some of the "tried-and-true" energy-efficient features of an energy star home are Effective Insulation, High-Performance Windows, Tight Construction and Ducts, and Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment. These features all contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution.

Now, we all know that by reducing pollution we can help save our planet…but here are some more tangible, everyday reasons to buy an ENERGY STAR^® home:

BETTER PERFORMANCE
Properly installed energy-efficient improvements deliver better protection against cold, heat, drafts, moisture, pollution, and noise. An energy-efficient home helps ensure consistent temperatures between and across rooms, improved indoor air quality, and greater durability.

SMART INVESTMENT
To date, more than 8,500 home builders have partnered with EPA to construct more than 1 million ENERGY STAR^® qualified homes. The trend is clear. By choosing a home with the ENERGY STAR^® label, you can be confident that it will have an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.