The Smart Money's on me

"Even in tight-wallet times, a surprising number of consumers have shown they're willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly products. Hybrid cars have more than doubled their market share in the U.S. since 2005. And spending on energy-related home-remodeling projects has been resilient, despite the housing downturn; it totaled $49 billion in 2009, up 29 percent since 2003, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. But having paid a little extra to go green, many consumers are now encountering an unexpected irritation: They have to pay more than their neighbors to stay green. The price of maintaining, repairing and even getting insurance for green products can often be higher than for their ordinary counterparts. "There are hidden costs that people don't think about," says Tim Haab, an environmental economist and a professor at Ohio State University. And with many tax credits for energy-efficient upgrades likely to expire soon, some consumers are finding themselves having to recalculate the cost of being eco-conscious." http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/for-the-home/the-hidden-cost-of-gong-green-1292011716331/