Sun Insurance is Green!

Sun Insurance is proud to “be green”. We recycle, re-use, and re-purpose everything we can. We don’t just do it, we think it! We encourage all of our family, friends, and clients to do what you can to help our environment.

In the late 1980’s the home building industry coined the term “green building” which refers to the incorporation of environmental considerations. When building or renovating your “green” house, you make certain deliberate choices such as:

• Energy efficiency improvements such as high-performance windows and solar panels
• Resource conservation using materials such as recycled building materials and engineered wood
• Indoor environmental quality considerations such as low emission paints and carpets

Not only do green homes use 40 percent less energy but also, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, they use 50 percent less water than standard homes and toxin-free materials reduce indoor air pollution. The Insurance Information Institute says that people who are green-focused are less likely, for example, to neglect home maintenance, or smoke in bed — making them a lower insurance risk and that there is a “strong link in their behavior that reduces the risks of accidents and damage.”

It doesn’t appear that being green is just a fad either. In a recent survey of homeowners, as much as 75 percent said that they are more likely to buy a green home, or purchase green products in the coming years! If you are making an effort to be green, here are some incentives from insurance companies that you should contact us about today:

• Travelers Insurance offers a 5 percent FL homeowners Insurance discount on green homes and provides additional expenses up to 10 percent of the loss amount (for homes without green features) to repair or rebuild with green methods and materials. Travelers Insurance defines “green” as “products, materials, methods, and processes that conserve natural resources, reduce energy or water consumption, avoid toxic or other polluting emissions or otherwise minimize the environmental impact
• Farmers Insurance offers an eco-rebuild homeowners endorsement, which affords $25,000 for additional costs incurred to rebuild, repair, or replace damaged property with Energy Star-rated contents and materials. (The Environmental Protection Agency sponsors the Energy Star certification.) This endorsement also provides reimbursement for recycling debris rather than disposing of it.
• Fireman’s Fund Insurance, a pioneer in this area, provides certified green dwelling coverage. Consumers with this coverage enjoy a 5 percent discount on their base premium.

It really is easy being green! How have you adapted green thinking? Leave us some of your tips below and we’ll share them!