Passive House designs could cut your energy bill in half

• A green building standard known as Passive House that lowers energy use is catching on in the US.
• Passive homes in New York and Massachusetts had utility bills between 30% and 50% lower on average.
• Extreme weather and costly utility bills are fueling a push to make buildings more energy efficient.

Rising heat and electricity bills. Bad air quality from wildfires. Unpredictable power outages.

All these trends — exacerbated by the global energy crisis and the climate crisis — have raised interest in ways to lower energy use at home and ensure the places we live are resilient to more extreme weather.