How green is your home? A recent survey showed that 74 percent of consumers believe less than a quarter of their home can be categorized as “green.” The survey was conducted on behalf of Whirlpool Corp. and Habitat for Humanity International by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research.
In response to a related question, 34 percent of consumers felt that the most common definition for a green home is that it reduces energy and/or water consumption by a significant percentage. Another 23 percent felt that a home can be considered green when the entire home is green. Responses for this question were similar across all income levels.
Builders who participated in the survey had similar feelings about the definition of green homes—35 percent preferred the definition of reducing energy and/or water consumption. An additional 35 percent defined homes as green if they are built to certification standards.
“These survey results demonstrate that many consumers recognize their homes can be more environmentally sound,” said Tom Halford, general manager, contract sales and marketing, Whirlpool Corp. “Whirlpool Corp. remains committed to understanding our customers in order to develop information they need to become greener and to make energy-efficient appliances to address the needs suggested in these survey results.”
When thinking about green certification programs, 78 percent of consumers felt that the Energy Star qualification is important for residential builds. The National Green Building Standard was also considered important by 44 percent of respondents, as well as state certification programs by 40 percent.
There were 75 percent of builders who felt that Energy Star qualification was important for residential builds, while 57 percent responded that the National Green Building Standard was important.
For more information on the partnership between Whirlpool and Habitat, click here.
