Realtors and Operating Costs

When realtors show prospective homes to clients, they rarely discuss operating cost. Not surprisingly, that is due to the dry and relatively uninspiring nature of what it represents. We buy a home, after all, because of a magnificent view, its lovely architecture or its proximity to community assets such as a train line – not because it has an energy efficient heating system. However, we at the Weston Climate Group urge you to consider your home's operating costs for other reasons. First, you can save a lot of money by taking a few simple steps, and second, you will be doing your part to reduce your power use in the effort to address global warming.

We appeal to Weston and Wayland realtors to list homes' operating costs, much like car dealers indicating a car's estimated miles per gallon. This would give homebuyers a point of comparison to measure its cost beyond the price of the purchase. When those operating costs
seem excessive, it might empower the buyer to negotiate for such enhancements as better insulation or a new boiler. Rebates from Nstar Electric and government incentive programs can offset the cost of implementation so that sellers are not put at a disadvantage. In the
end, a home's operating cost is reduced and the owner has contributed to the effort to reduce greenhouse gases.

We also urge current homeowners to know their operating costs. It is as simple as downloading a template from our website www.westonclimategroup.org and filling out a year's worth of electricity bills. Then, consider taking our "kilowatt challenge" – commit to reducing your energy use by taking some steps listed on the site, monitor a few months progress and report your energy savings on our poll. Know your home's operating cost; take steps to reduce those costs and you will be taking a vital step in the effort to deal with global warming.

submitted by Roy Chatalbash, Weston Climate Group