Suburbs Shell Out for Energy Savings

What's energy efficiency worth to you?

Are you ready to shell out thousands to improve your insulation? Got an extra $5K to plop down to pay for storm windows?

For many suburbanites, the cost of refitting a home for energy efficiency has been just too high. Sure, global warming stinks. And absolutely -- it'd be great to shrink the monthly utility bill. But somehow food, clothing and gas for the car always eat up the paycheck -- and there's just nothing left for home improvement.

But what if your municipality picked up the bill for making your home more energy efficient? Would you take action then?

On the assumption that most people would say "yes," says the New York Times, one town -- Babylon, N.Y. -- came up with an amazing offer. If homeowners would pay $250 for a home audit, the town would pay for recommended upgrades. For one home, the town's investment came to $6,879 in insulation -- while the homeowners reaped a savings of about $1,300 per year.

Other suburban towns are moving forward in innovative ways. According to the article, "Some of these towns are offering energy retrofits; others furnish free parking to fuel-efficient hybrid cars. Yet others are limiting or banning the use of fertilizers to avoid chemicals leaching into the groundwater, or imposing strict energy efficiency requirements for new homes."

Sweet deal.

What makes the deal even sweeter is the thought that green investments by municipalities are a win-win deal. According to Babylon's town manager, in the Times, sustainability is a matter of survival: "Over time, residents are going to demand it, and housing stock and commercial stock that are green are going to be more valuable," he said. "This positions Babylon to be a prosperous community for the long term."

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