HUD has helped millions of would-be homeowners through the homeownership cycle: beginning with credit counseling and leading to an FHA-insured mortgage loan with a low down payment and 30-year term. But after the settlement is history and the happy family is safely moved into their new "castle," some new homeowners are socked with unanticipated costs - like huge energy bills to heat, cool, and light their house.

Fort Worth HUD staff knows there are alternatives to exorbitant monthly energy bills, and joined with the Department of Energy last month for a unique Advanced Building Technologies/ Opportunities for Affordable Housing Conference. Held in El Paso, the conference highlighted advanced construction materials and techniques - some of them unique and even unconventional - intended to cut construction and energy consumption costs.

Full bales of treated straw are inset in the walls, then covered with conventional siding and drywall. Under construction, the house looks unconventional.

One of the most interesting materials turns the story of the "The Three Little Pigs" on its head. Just using national averages, a family of four living in a typical "brick and stick" three-bedroom house would have an electric bill of about $200 per month. Some unlucky homeowners would pay much, much more.

But a house built using an alternative method, like straw bale construction, could help keep the "Big Bad Wolf" of energy costs at bay, saving a family as much as 30% on their energy use. While it's not intended for all areas, straw bale construction is a viable alternative method especially in dry climates. Walls are actually built with square straw bales and encapsulated with conventional siding and drywall. The encased, treated bales do not decompose and provide excellent insulation. And of course the raw materials for such construction are readily available.

In keeping with the idea of recycling, recycled tires also are used to stabilize part of the home site. But the finished home looks as attractive as any in the community - and costs much less to heat and cool.

Similar energy concerns apply to the multifamily rental industry as well. In Texas alone, HUD provides financial assistance for about 63,000 units of public housing. Using a conservative estimate (much of that inventory is decades old and is very energy inefficient), it costs each of those units $100 per month in electricity/ energy costs. That means $6,300,000 per month or $75,000,000 per year in Texas alone. Nationwide, HUD spends something on the order of $4,000,000,000 a year to provide energy to its direct customers. Even a small, five percent reduction in those energy costs would save $200,000,000 each year.

The one-day conference consisted of workshops on topics such as building materials and codes, the use of renewable energy sources, financing, and technical assistance. Three "Hit the Road" bus tours also highlighted advanced housing developments in the El Paso area. Private sector exhibitors also participated by providing demonstrations on advanced construction materials (such as straw bale, adobe or Styrofoam paneling) and information about the resources and techniques available for energy and cost conscious construction. A. Cynthia Leon, HUD Southwest Regional Director called the conference a major success: "With the Department of Energy and our other partners, we were able to highlight materials and techniques that can help reduce costs to builders, homeowners, and renters alike."