How green is your home? Through the efforts of green organizations and the establishment of green television shows and even channels, most homeowners have been provided information about the benefits of a green home. However, many homeowners have had limited information on how green their households are and the direct affects green improvements to their homes will make on the environment and monthly spending. Fortunately for homeowners in the US there is a growing body of energy efficiency auditors. These qualified auditors are certified by state and federally accredited programs called Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS).

Home Energy-efficiency Raters - Certified home energy-efficiency auditors are individuals who have taken state or government approved classes to become certified to provide Home Energy-Efficiency Ratings (HER). These ratings are extremely beneficial to homeowners to establish a base-line from which green improvement decisions can be made and measured. Furthermore, having a HER allows the homeowner to qualify for home improvement loans or tax benefits.

Home Energy Ratings - Buyers should always request a certified Home Efficiency Rating. Knowing the property's Home Energy Rating presents options to the buyer even if the home is not energy efficient.

A home energy rating should comprise of the following:

• Inspection of energy-related features of a homes window efficiency, insulation levels, heating and cooling systems by a certified under a state or national home energy rating system.
• Home energy rating and estimation of annual energy consumption and costs.
• Recommendation for energy improvements and their costs
• Estimated returns on investments for improving a homes energy-efficiency

Qualified energy efficient homes enable more financing options over a home that has a low home energy efficiency rating or none at all. This made possible because many lenders take into account the monthly savings provided by energy-efficient homes, and factors those savings into the buyer's debt-to-earning ratios. Lower utility bills allow a lender to stretch out the debt-to-earning ratio in order to justify mortgage amounts. Furthermore, lenders are able to extend additional financing options for green homes that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).