(Ossian, IN) -- Higher energy costs and skyrocketing gas prices are spurring people to invest in all things "Green". Nicole Pence gives us an inside look at a new housing subdivision in Ossian that is heating homes by mother earth.

Kirby Sink/Bee Creek Development: "We started the whole process off about a year-and-a-half ago and when we starting doing this development we knew we needed some kind of niche."

That niche...Geo-Thermal energy systems. In the first phase for "The Bridges" subdivision in Ossian, 49 homes will be built using the energy-efficient technology. It's the largest housing division of it's kind in northeast Indiana.

Jill Miller/Water Furnace: "There is no outside unit installed with a Water Furnace Geo-thermal system. Basically what we do is put an outside, to pull the heat from the earth is put an outside loop system in the ground, a pythroethanol piping is buried in into the ground. Just transferring heat from the earth into the home. In the winter time and in the summer time pulling the heat out of the home and transferring it back to the earth."

Nicole Pence/Indiana's NewsCenter: "Up front, this unit will cost you about 3-thousand dollars. That's a little more than the average heating and cooling system. But, builders argue in the end you'll save money and you'll help the environment."

Josh Barkley/Barkley Builders, INC: "The pay back is two or three years."

Jill Miller/Water Furnace "Basically, you are adding fifty more bucks to your mortgage a month to put in a geo-thermal system into your home, but you operational costs are 75 dollars cheaper month."

Because home owners are taking advantage of mother earth, the government also gives buyers a property tax credit. Starting costs of one of these homes is about 155-thousand dollars. The official ground-breaking ceremony for "The Bridges" subdivision is Thursday morning at nine.