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Clark Howard's Tips

May 5, 2008

We in America have historically enjoyed cheap energy prices. Of course that's all reversed now. There's a lot of evidence to suggest that energy could be costly in the future. While people are clamoring about finding more supply, what we really need to do is reduce our demand for energy.

One way to do that is build efficient structures. Architects who focus on "green" building can create savings of about 30% to 50% for the end user.

We in America have historically enjoyed cheap energy prices. Of course that's all reversed now. There's a lot of evidence to suggest that energy could be costly in the future. While people are clamoring about finding more supply, what we really need to do is reduce our demand for energy.

One way to do that is build efficient structures. Architects who focus on "green" building can create savings of about 30% to 50% for the end user.

One American city that knows all about energy costs is Houston. In the heart of oil country, they're requiring commercial builders to construct energy-efficient properties. They're also trying to put those same standards on residential builders.

The pushback from the residential sector has been intense so far. Montgomery County in Maryland is one place that has already successfully established mandatory green building standards.

Clark applauds Houston's efforts and hopes the city extends the standards to new residential homes. This can make a huge difference in energy costs. It's not about whether you buy into the idea of global warming or not; the reality is we're spending a fortune on energy. Green building is not about the environment, it's about your wallet.?

Consumer advice courtesy of