Home Insurance and Green Houses

Having adequate home insurance is important, but what do you do if you live in a green certified home and a standard home insurance policy won’t cover the extra costs of material and certification to ensure your home will continue to meet green standards in the event part, or all, of your home has to be rebuilt?

You do have options, but your home insurance policy must reflect the higher level of “green” coverage. In some cases you can purchase a home insurance policy on a traditional home that provides an increase in your home’s green factor in the event of a loss. These home insurance policies allow you to purchase additional insurance before any loss or damage to provide money for green enhancements after a claim.

Home insurance provides financial protection for your home and belongings against damage and theft. With a green home you want your home insurance policy to reflect the costs of protecting the entire structure, including green building materials, efficient replacement products and possibly certification costs.

Home insurance also protects you against liability and legal responsibility for injuries your property, you, members of your family and even your pets cause others. Whether you live in a green home or a traditional structure, to find the best home insurance deal you should take the time to do some research and compare home insurance quotes before deciding on your home insurance provider.

The earliest green home insurance policies were only available to new homes certified to meet specific climate and zone related construction standards for energy. Home insurance policies can now be found to cover a larger variety of green repairs.

Green home insurance policies cover the costs of specialty materials like environmentally friendly lighting, windows, insulation, appliances, building materials, and heating and cooling systems. Green home insurance policies also cover low environmental-impact construction processes.

Do you produce green energy?

If you produce energy through solar, wind or other methods and sell your excess energy back to the utility company, there is a special area of green home insurance for you. Most government bodies will require you keep additional liability insurance when you are involved in an energy contract with a utility company.

Even if you aren’t required to carry extra liability, it’s a very good idea to do so. The additional liability is to protect you against any loss from a metering incident that damages property or hurts utility workers. Before entering an energy contract with a utility company, find out what type of insurance is required and get in touch with your home insurance provider to find out exactly what your home insurance policy does, and does not, cover in regards to energy contracts.