Will Anyone Pay to be “Green”?

July/Aug 2008 Issue

This may be just the boost in confidence we need to sell the environmental control side of the biz, people!

The current issue of California Builder sites an interesting National Survey of existing homeowners (not just Californians, despite the mag’s name).

We all know “green” is a popular (read over-played) buzzword, but are homeowners willing to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to forking out the dough?

According to the survey results, the answer is YES!

To make the most of this definitive information, try using open ended questions with your prospects.  What does “green” mean to them?  How important are financial savings in relation to protecting the environment? Saving energy? Enjoying the health benefits of going green?

Focus on these 3 primary reasons homeowners pay extra for “green features.”   To save energy, enjoy health benefits and take care of the environment.

1.  To Save Energy

75% are willing to pay more for energy saving products if the features pay them back through actual cost savings.

18% are willing to pay more for this reason, even if they never recover their investment.

2. Enjoy Health Benefits

50% will pay extra for the combination of health benefits AND return on investment.

41% will STILL pay extra for the health benefits of going green, even with no monetary ROI.

3. Take Care of the Environment

46%  will pay more to take care of the environment, provided they ALSO save enough over the long term to

cover the original investment.

24% say they’ll pay more simply for the sake of the environment alone.

One last fact from the article that you can use on the sales floor:

” …buildings (including their homes) contribute almost half of total U.S. energy use and atmospheric emissions, and approximately [20%] of its water effluent problems.”

My goodness!