Looking forward: when our utility bills turn into utility invoices...

Distributed generation, electricity being generated on the house side of the meter, usually in the form of a solar array in New England, has a chance to be a real game changer in how consumers think about power. Combined with utility meters that measure not only energy consumed by the building, but electricity being supplied to the grid, from the distributed generation resource, are here to stay. Meters that “spin backwards” called net meters, actually pay the homeowner for supplying power to the utility grid.

As smart grid improvements, and consumer sophistication about how electricity is priced matures, it is conceivable we could reach a time when homeowner investment in distributed generation changes our perception of utility bills to utility invoices. This morning I mentioned on the RE/MAX Leading Edge Green Facebook page that the wholesale price of electricity was $0.00 from 4-6 AM. Hopefully with the right smart grid choices, consumers will be able to take advantage of using power at off-peak times when the price of power is less expensive. 

Combining advanced smart grid technologies with distributed generation will one day need to be looked at by real estate appraisers as a property asset. Consumer perception of utility bills as a liability may be changing.

Understanding lowering energy consumption vs increasing building performance

As the market share of energy efficient homes in New England increases, the value of green properties will rise, while the value of homes with lower energy performance will decrease.

Join us Wednesday in Somerville...

RE/MAX Heritage Green Hosts “The Hidden Value of an Energy Efficient Home”

RE/MAX Heritage Green, located at 20 Holland Street in Somerville, will host a seminar for local homeowners or residents that are thinking of buying or selling an energy efficient home in the near future on Wednesday, November 14^th from 7:00-8:00 PM at the RE/MAX office. Refreshments will be served.
Presenters will include Attorney Sol Cohen of Cohen and Sales, LLC, Travis Estes the Director of Community Development of Next Step Living, Inc. and Craig Foley the Chief of Energy Solutions of RE/MAX Heritage.

Learn about recent national studies that indicate increasing your home’s energy efficiency performance not only has the benefits of lowering your monthly utility costs and reducing stress on the environment and regional energy grids, but can also reduce the selling time of your home and increase its value at the time of sale.

Craig Foley, the Chief of Energy Solutions of RE/MAX Heritage says, “A common request by buyers of real estate in this area is to ask for information about the seller’s utility bills with good reason: the combination of our utility bills here in the Northeast is higher than any other place in the country. Join us to discover solutions to help homeowners gain control of their monthly utility costs and lower their carbon footprint.”

Travis Estes, the Director of Community Development for Next Step Living, Inc. says “Most of the region’s housing stock was built before 1940 and many homeowners are not aware of the generous incentives being offered to homeowners to increase the energy efficiency of their home.”

RE/MAX Heritage Green is located in Davis Square, Somerville. The office incorporates green design and technologies including the ability to engage clients in a paperless real estate transaction.  RE/MAX Heritage continues to lead the industry in its commitment to clients, communities, employees and the environment as noted in their recognition by the Boston Business Journal in 2011 as one of the top 25 small businesses in the state.

Cohen & Sales, LLC, a Massachusetts law firm located in Waltham, is dedicated to providing its clients the highest quality legal advice and representation.

Next Step Living is a residential energy efficiency and renewables company that believes good things happen when you save energy in your home. NSL has upgraded over 20,000 homes and visit 1,600 new ones a month in the Northeast.