Interested in marketing green tech or energy-efficiency services to homes or businesses? Meet your competition: It’s called the Toyota Prius. And it’s taking business away from you.
FACT: Homes and businesses use more energy than all of transportation, and homes use more than businesses. Which means that energy-efficiency should begin in the home, where we can all save money and reduce waste.
REALITY?: According to the Shelton Group, a green market research firm, 97 percent of the population is unaware that the main cause of global warming is power plants, they think it’s cars and trucks.
Unfortunately, tax credits available in United States for being more energy efficient reflect this warped thinking. While tax credits for energy efficiency measures in a home has been increased to a maximum of $1,500, the credits for buying a hybrid or plug-in electric vehicle range from $2,500 to $15,000, depending on the kind of vehicle, its weight, and its battery, according at an AP report.
SOLUTION: The Prius and other hybrid electric vehicles are statement and status buys. They advertise that their owners care about the environment. So here’s the question: Can you make green tech in a home or business a statement or status buy as well? Can it be something your clients can show off?
The Other Competition
FACT: Your other competitors include granite and marble countertops, bamboo floors, any kind of siding or insulation, convenience and entertainment electronics like home theater systems. You’re competing against all the other things that can go into a house or business.
REALITY?: The Shelton Group polled people on where they felt it is important to buy green products. Cars, home cleaning products, fruits, and vegetables came out on top, with energy and home improvement finishing below.
