Have you checked your home's performance lately? If you live in an older home or a builder-grade model, chances are your appliances and heating and cooling devices are costing you more money.
In this slide show, we review six energy-efficient upgrades and the potential savings from each.
See which $19 improvement can knock off up to 30 percent from your heating and cooling bill.
The slide show begins with the navigation to the right.
Programmable Thermostat
Extra Cost: $19
Annual Savings: $185
Payback Period: 2 months
This temperature-sensitive timing device modifies your home's temperature throughout the day. It can be set to heat or cool less often when the house is empty. According to Energy Star, homeowners can reduce annual heating and cooling costs by 20 to 30 percent.
All estimates are for a 2,500-square-foot home built in the 1990s. Annual savings reflect national average fuel costs. Actual savings will vary by region. Source: www.energystar.gov
Sponsored Content
Energy Star Central Air Conditioner
Extra Cost: $104
Annual Savings: $398
Payback Period: 4 months
Cooling and heating a home makes up about half of a home's energy cost. After installing a programmable thermostat, homeowners should consider upgrading an older central cooling unit. Energy Star models are 14 percent more efficient than standard ones.
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content
Energy Star Clothes Washer
Extra Cost: $200
Annual Savings: $46
Payback Period: 4.4 years
Washers tweaked for energy efficiency also benefit the planet in another way: these machines reduce water usage. New technologies let you set small loads, wash for shorter periods and use less chemical detergent.
Find More Savings
Save on Utilities
Save Money on Everything
Fabulous Freebies
Sponsored Content
-
Stocks Hit Fresh Highs Ahead of the Fed As Earnings Pump Optimism: Stock Market TodaySHW and UNH were two of the best Dow Jones stocks Tuesday, thanks to solid earnings reports, and MSFT closed with a $4 trillion market cap.
-
Selling Your Haunted House? What You Have to Tell Buyers (and What You Don’t)You don’t need ghosts to spook buyers, sometimes a home’s past is enough. Here’s what sellers should know about disclosure laws, pricing and perception when a property has a haunted history.
-
12 Great Places to Retire in the MidwestPlaces to live Here are our retirement picks in the 12 midwestern states.
-
Ten Cheapest Small Towns to Live InThe cheapest small towns might not be for everyone, but their charms can make them the best places to live for plenty of folks.
-
Best Cold Weather Places to RetirePlaces to live Some like it hot; others, not so much. Here are the 12 best places to retire if you can't stand the heat.
-
The 24 Cheapest Places To Retire in the USWhen you're trying to balance a fixed income with an enjoyable retirement, cost of living is a crucial factor to consider. Is your state the best?
-
The Six Best Places to Retire in New Englandplaces to live Thinking about a move to New England for retirement? Here are the best places to land for quality of life, affordability and other criteria.
-
Best Cold Weather Places to Retire
places to live Some like it hot; others not so much. Here are the 12 best places to retire if you can't stand the heat.
-
15 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winterhome There are many ways to prepare your home for winter, which will help keep you safe and warm and save on housing and utility costs.
-
5 Great Places to Buy a Vacation HomeWant a vacation home for remote work or a fun getaway? Here are locations with median prices under $500K.
