Of course, there is no money to be made in that, so green products are more costly. Either they use more energy and are [supposedly] more detrimental to the environment, or they are a rip-off, with the flim-flam man walking away with your hard earned dollars.
It is universally assumed that insulation and caulking will make a home more energy efficient without any negative side effects.
In actual fact various moisture and rot/decay problems often arise after insulation and tightening. Exactly what and where depends on the climate and how the work is done.
Since my line of work involves dealing with these types of problems, it’s a plus for me, but I’m continually amazed by those who think you can change the way a structure functions so dramatically without possible unintended consequences.
The best possible proof of your assertion is Green Mountain Energy -- a Texas wind energy firm founded by the Wyly Brothers.
Green Mountain Energy runs a windfarm or two out in West Texas, which feed into the grid. Since Texas is a deregulated state, Green Mountain thus has the right to sell energy to any customer in the state.
Since "green" is "good", Green Mountain's rates are the highest in the state. Nonetheless, the enviro-conscious sign up to pay a higher utility bill -- because it's good for Mother Earth (and their own self-esteem).
Green Mountain has been so successful that, in fact, they sell more electricity than they generate.
Where does this additional electricity come from? They buy it from conventional power producers -- at its wholesale cost. Then, they sell it at their inflated "green" cost.
In my opinion, this makes the Wyly Brothers "smart operators". But what does it make their customers...???