Why own such a big, energy guzzling home?

Are you single? Are your friends trying to prepare for their future families by taking out mortgages on small houses? Well, if you answered “yes” to both these questions and happen to live in an apartment, then you’re substantially less responsible for global warming than your friends.

Apartments use an estimated 40% less energy than single-family homes, according to recent findings. Sure -- apartments tend to be on the small side. They can be noisy. And unpredictable. But by minimizing space and windows, they waste much less energy. Much, much less.

Over the past thirty years, without efficiency upgrades in multi-family buildings, the United States per-household energy use in apartment buildings has dropped 38%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The use of energy for heating fell a staggering 50%!

Other types of home have seen decreases in energy usage, mostly from efficiency improvements in regular appliances. But single-family homes still make up the bulk of real estate in the U.S. -- and obviously, that's the front where the energy war can be won.

Companies like WegoWise, a Boston firm whose analytics help people save money on utility bills, are focusing on the energy needs of multifamily home. It's a difficult task – how do you fairly go about dividing energy costs versus function for single versus multi-family homes?

ThinkEco, a company whose energy-saving products facilitate consumption reduction by enabling cloud-control connectivity to multiple energy loads, is hoping to dominate the windowed air-conditioner market. ACs are staples of older homes in cities such as Washington D.C. and New York. With more efficient models, these cities could drastically cut down on their utility costs.

In the future, energy-saving fads will come and go. But last year, in the U.S., 30% of new homes were multifamily buildings with more than five units. Buildings like these will help put a stop to bleeding electricity.

The answer is smaller housing! Practical living. Cooperation.

You don’t need a two-car garage, third story, or finished basement to be happy. Happiness is a state of mind. So ditch the energy-guzzling home. Settle for an apartment!