Habitat for Humanity already helps local low-income families by giving them reliable, affordable places to live. But this year, the organization has continued efforts to save them money on energy bills as well. Given the rise in home-heating costs building environmentally conscious and energy-efficient homes will save homeowners hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of dollars on utility bills. Habitat ran a test last year, measuring two homes’ energy use and the homeowners’ usage patterns against each other. One was a standard home, built to code but with no extra consideration for energy efficiency. The other was a home that used insulated concrete forms to decrease energy loss. When Habitat staff measured the three homes in December, the standard home had used 2,156 kWh of electricity, while the home built with insulated concrete forms used a minuscule 471 kWh. Based on energy rates for that month, the family with the house built with insulated concrete forms saved $118 on their utilities.

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