It’s getting easier to be green. And cheaper, too, if you want to build an environmentally friendly home, or carry out renovations that will help you save money and the planet at the same time.

The Housing Industry Association’s GreenSmart initiative makes it simple to find builders and others to help you build or renovate according to green principles. “The people listed on our website as ‘GreenSmart Professionals’ have completed a two-day course covering all the basics of sustainable design and building,” says Janine Nechwatal, HIA GreenSmart general manager. Online, www.hia.com.au lists professionals by state.

Victorian home builder Burbank says the costs of constructing a “green” home are no longer a lot more than for a conventional house. “Consumers are much more aware of environmental factors now,” says Carmine Fusco, marketing director of Burbank. “They want homes with sustainable features but they don’t want to have to pay much more for them.

“We have brought some smarts into the way we design homes and also have put pressure on our suppliers to come up with better products,” Fusco says. “This means we can deliver a more environmentally sustainable product without a high price tag. Homes are usually orientated according to where the driveway is. With ours, passive solar principles control the orientation.”

The Evolution and Revolution designs, three-bedroom homes with 6-star energy ratings, are priced* at $129,300 and $148,880 respectively, not including land. Energy-efficient features include double-glazing, fluorescent lighting, gas-boosted solar hot-water service and a rainwater tank. These are predicted to save owners about $700 a year on utility bills, compared with a traditional 2.5-star home. *Check current prices with your builder, rates vary in each state.

Displays of Burbank homes and others by various builders can be found at the Aurora Estate, a master planned community about 20km north of the Melbourne CBD. This is a sustainable project where all 9000 houses will have a minimum 6-star energy rating. Other states have similar display homes in various areas.

The Aurora partners, EPA Victoria, VicUrban, Yarra Valley Water and the City of Whittlesea, have signed a 15-year binding statutory commitment to work together to increase resource-use efficiency and reduce the ecological impact of the development.

The HIA’s Nechwatal says volume builders have been able to produce green housing at competitive prices. On renovations, she says some changes can be made very cheaply. For example, an efficient shower rose, which cuts water usage from 12 litres to nine litres a minute, costs about $50. The resulting saving means this will be paid for in about 16 weeks.

Nechwatal is passionate about GreenSmart and plans to have its logo as recognisable as the heart tick. The HIA is backing its initiative with training, publications, annual awards and making “green” housing a feature of its home shows.

Pam Walkley is the editor of Money magazine

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