Homeowners looking to reduce utility bills have plenty of options, from adjusting daily habits to making significant home upgrades. Turning off unused lights, sealing air leaks, and installing a programmable thermostat all help. But the biggest gains come from more substantial investments: adding insulation, upgrading windows, replacing an aging HVAC system, or building to a certified high-performance standard.
Before pursuing energy efficiency upgrades, SHA recommends starting with resilience. A home that is vulnerable to storm damage can lose its insulation, roof, and HVAC investment in a single weather event. Building or re-roofing to the FORTIFIED standard first means energy efficiency improvements are protected and lasting.
Once a home is resilient, several well-established green building and energy certification programs are worth considering.
ENERGY STAR is the most accessible starting point for most homeowners and builders. It covers new homes, appliances, and systems, and is widely recognized by insurers, lenders, and buyers. Americans save tens of billions of dollars annually on energy costs through ENERGY STAR-rated products and homes.
EarthCraft is a regional green building certification developed by Southface, specifically designed for the Southeast's climate conditions. EarthCraft homes use, on average, 30% less energy than a typical new home and require independent third-party verification to certify performance.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a points-based certification from the U.S. Green Building Council applicable to homes, multifamily buildings, and commercial structures. It is more rigorous and typically more expensive to achieve than ENERGY STAR or EarthCraft, but it can deliver superior energy performance and is recognized globally.
DOE Efficient New Homes, formerly known as Zero Energy Ready Home, is the federal government's most rigorous residential energy certification. Certified homes are efficient enough that a renewable energy system could offset most or all of the home's annual energy use. Homes certified under this program qualify for the federal 45L tax credit of up to $5,000.
The National Green Building Standard (NGBS) is the only ANSI-approved green building standard designed specifically for residential construction. Its 2025 edition includes a +Resilience certification track that recognizes above-code resilience practices alongside energy and sustainability performance.
Certified high-performance homes consistently use significantly less energy than standard construction. The right program depends on your budget, location, building type, and goals. Visit our energy page for a full overview of programs and how they connect to resilient construction.