Lexington Offers Green Upgrade for Residential Coverage

Lexington Insurance Co., a member company of American International Group Inc. introduced Upgrade To Green Residential, an insurance coverage allowing U.S. homeowner policyholders to rebuild their property to “green” standards following a covered loss.

“Upgrade To Green Residential was developed to help insureds rebuild their homes in an environmentally responsible way that reduces greenhouse gases and non-recyclable waste,” said David Valzania, vice president, Personal Lines, Lexington Insurance Co. “Upgrade To Green Residential allows homeowners to rebuild damaged homes using energy efficient and environmentally friendly products.”

Upgrade to Green, which was recently cited in the Ceres report “From Risk to Opportunity 2007: Insurer Responses to Climate Change,” responds whether the insured home suffers a partial or a total loss from a covered event and extends coverage beyond the basic “replacement value” afforded by standard homeowners insurance policies.

In the event of a covered partial loss to the insured property, the policy pays for the insured to purchase products and materials and make repairs to adopt Energy Star or equivalent levels of energy efficiency in areas such as lighting, heating, and cooling systems; windows; insulation; appliances; home electronics; and home office equipment. The policy also encompasses use of water-efficient plumbing fixtures, low VOC paints and adhesives, and framing, roofing and siding materials that are more durable, sustainably produced, or composed of recycled content.

If an insured home requires complete rebuilding due to a covered event, the policy will pay to reconstruct the home in accordance with an Energy Star Builder Option Package, which provides climate zone-specific construction specifications enabling the home’s energy performance to qualify for the Energy Star label. Homeowners using products bearing the government-backed Energy Star label benefit from the ongoing cost savings of improved energy efficiency, potentially reducing their utility bill, and may also qualify for special offers, such as sales tax exemptions, credits or rebates, on qualified products from their state or local government, the federal government, or their utility provider.

Source: Lexington, AIG