The U.S. Energy Information Administration released its most recent residential survey, analyzing the country’s energy consumption as of 2009. 

In a recent study comparing the energy efficiency of 12 of the world's largest economies, the United States was ranked 9^th --with the United Kingdom taking first place. With statistics like that, making energy efficiency improvements to your home may seem like a challenge.

Are some rooms in your home stiflingly hot in the summer?  Does frigid air keep you out of certain areas of your home in the winter?  You’re not alone! 

Plenty of evidence exists showing that an energy efficient home is more comfortable and involves lower utility bills. Now there's growing evidence that an energy efficient home will sell for more and sell more quickly than comparable homes that are less efficient.

Energy efficient homes are worth more, so says real estate giant Trulia.  In a story posted last month citing five reasons to go-green, staff writer Tara-Nicholle Nelson presents data from the The Appraisal Journal that, "for every $1 green home improvements decreased the property's annual energy bills, the home’s value increases by $10-$25."  Using that math, effciency improvements that reduce your energy bills by $500.00 woul

Orange Shag Carpeting? Or Granite Countertops?

We all know that real estate gets trendy. And there’s nothing like a home sale to tell you if you are in or out of fashion. Homes with the orange shag sell for less. Homes with the new granite sell for more.

At MyHomeEQ, we're convinced that the value of home efficiency improvements shouldn't be limited to the savings on your utility bills, though the long-term payback there is frequently better than investing in the stock market, especially in the last few years. Energy efficiency retrofits are home improvements, just like upgrading your kitchen counters or getting stainless steel appliances, and should improve the overall value and equity of your home.

The US Department of Energy has announced that they're developing a scoring system for energy efficient homes, something that we're very excited about at MyHomeEQ. See part of the press release below.