NASHVILLE (AP) - The Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity has earned the Energy Star Sustained Excellence award from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Habitat is known for building solid, inexpensive homes for those in need, but in Nashville, the charity has also been building green.

And Habitat officials say that building low-energy homes not only helps the environment, it helps their clients with lower utility bills.

Antonio Miller told The Tennessean that he and his wife no longer have to stand in long lines at the Metro Action Commission seeking help paying their utility bills. Where they formerly paid close to $200 a month for electricity, they now pay more like $60.

Energy savers include extra insulation in the floors, walls and ceilings; double-paned windows; drought-resistant landscaping; low-flow toilets and energy efficient appliances.