The hot-bed of Arkansas' green construction movement is right here in central Arkansas, North Little Rock to be exact. That's where you'll find the first homes in the state certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. And you can adapt some of the same green techniques to your own home to save money.
Yolanda Mathis said, "I grew up in this neighborhood and it feels good to come back home."
But when Mathis was a girl there was no home like this in the neighborhood. Now she and her 3 kids will live in one of the first 4 homes in the state with the U.S. Green Building Conucil's LEED designation. That stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
"I'm excited! I think I'm making history," Mathis said.
Brad Williams, executive director of the Argenta Community Development Corporation, said "We hope folks can realize that green building is the wave of the future, not just because it's good for the environment but because it saves them money."
The non-profit agency built the homes, all priced below $100,000. And Williams says they can save owners about 30 percent on utility bills every month. But you don't need a new green house to start saving some green.
Putting in a low flow filter to cut down on water use may cost a dollar or two, but CDC project manager Brian Cox says you'll get that back on your water bill fast. As for your electric bill, we all know about fluorescent lights. And that's all you'll find in these houses.
And if you're replacing your carpet, why not go green there too. The carpet in the green homes looks pretty standard but it's actually made of recycled bottle caps. It doesn't cost much more than other varieties of carpet either.
If you really want to keep the electric bill down, go for an insulation overhaul by replacing windows.
Windows in these homes are about 30 bucks more than the standard price. And don't forget the insulation around doors and ductwork. For the Mathis family the hard work is done. Now it's time to enjoy. "They're just happy to call it home, home sweet home," Mathis told us. The Argenta CDC isn't stopping here. The non-profit group has one more of these homes for sale and they plan to build 4 more.
