Heat will seek the path if least resistance to leave your house.  Your attic stair may sell be the weak spot in your house.  An Attic Stair Cover will stop heat and air from escaping from your house in the winter and from invading your house in the summer.  Level 6

This handy gadget that attaches to your dryer vent, directs the warm humid air from your clothes dryer back into your laundry room instead of outside through the dryer vent.  It has a screen that can be cleaned and a damper so that the hot air can be directed outside during the cooling season.  Level 4

Not only will a dirty furnace filter reduce your furnaces efficiency, it will also increase the wear and tear on your furnace.  Thus, it pays to replace your furnace regularly, but when should you change your filter?  Some say that you should change it once a month, others say once a quarter.  Regardless of how often, it is very easy to forget.  A Furnace Filter Whistle takes away all of the guess work, and remembering by telling you when your filter needs to be replaced.  Level 2

One of the most cost effective ways to reduce energy costs, especially in older homes is to increase the amount of insulation in the attic.  A major portion of the heat that is lost from a house literally goes up through the roof.  In fact, current energy and building codes require 30% to 50% more insulation in the attic than they do in the walls.  In all US climates 9” (R-30) of fiberglass insulation is the recommended minimum, and in most climates up to 18” (R-60) will bring optimal energy performance.  Level 3

In many houses the mechanical room is the warmest in the house, this may be due to the water heater loosing much of its heat to the room.  A warm to the touch water tank is a sign that it needs a blanket.  If this is the case, wrap the tank with a form fitting hot water tank insulation blanket.  This will save you substantial energy every year.  Level 3

Next to the roof, the walls of your house is where most of the energy is lost that should otherwise keep you comfortable in your home.  If you happen to live in a home built before the 70’s, then the walls may not be insulated like they should.  Furthermore, if it was built before the 30’s or 40’s they may not have any insulation in them at all.  In the former case, there are not many options to improve the situation unless you change or replace the exterior skin of your house.  A layer of rigid insulation can be installed under the new cladding.  In the latter case, adding insulation to the outside of the building is an option, but typically a less expensive one is to insulate the stud cavities in the walls.  There are several options for insulating the stud cavities: blown in cellulose or fiberglass, or various types of foam.  In the end, adding insulation to the walls of your house can save you hundreds of dollars each year in heating and cooling costs, as well as make your house much more comfortable to live in.  Level 6

Click Here to learn more about Insulating the Walls of Your Older Home

A great way to lower your cooling bills is to open up your windows and turn on a Whole House Fan to cool your house during the night when the temperatures are lower than in the day.  Many times your house can be cooled off to such a degree that you can close your windows in the morning and the temperature in your house will stay quite comfortable for most if not all of the day.  Many times adding central air conditioning to an existing house is too costly or impractical especially if it has radiant heat, and a Whole House Fan is a great and very effective alternative.  Level 6

Another strategy to keep lights off unless you are using them is to install occupancy and motion sensors.  These sensors replace your switches and only turn on when movement is detected.  They have manual onand off overrides and the length of time that the lights will stay on can be adjusted (typically from 1 to 30 minutes).  Unfortunately, these sensors are not designed for three-way applications.  Typically, occupancy sensors will pay for themselves in two to three years.  Level 6

On those wonderful sunny winter days, open the drapes and let the sunshine in.  This energy from the sun will help to warm your house and help to lower your heating bills a little too.  Level 1

On those wonderful days where it is in the 80’s in the afternoon, but temperatures drop to the 60’s over night, open all your windows when the temperature drops below 78° (recommended thermostat setting in the summer) at night and let that cool air in.  Then in the morning close all your windows to keep the heat of the day out.  With the help of a couple of window fans you can easily avoid turning on your air conditioner well into May or even June (depending of course on where you live).  Level 1

Many of our electronic items such as chargers, cable boxes, routers, printers, televisions, DVD players, and stereo equipment use a small amount of power even when they are not on.  If these devices are plugged into a power strip which is then turned off while these items are not in use these electrical “leaks” can be stopped, thus eliminating this waste of energy.  Level 5

More than half of the heat lost up through your roof in the winter and that comes down into your house in the summer is radiant (infrared) heat.  Traditional fiberglass bat and cellulose insulation work well to slow conductive and convective heat flow, but don’t do much to stem the radiant heat flow.  Radiant insulation reflects the heat back down into your house in the winter and back up through the roof in the summer so that it never has the chance to heat up your attic.  Hence, it keeps your attic much cooler in summer and warmer in winter, greatly reducing the difference in temperature between the inside of your house and the attic and in the size of your energy bills both in summer and winter.  Level 4

In the heat of the summer, the temperature in your attic can soar up to 150° to 160° F, while the outside temperatures are in the mid 90’s and your air conditioner is trying to keep the indoor temperature in the 70’s.  Solar powered attic fans are a great investment and will quickly reduce your air conditioning costs by up to 10% by eliminating that hot air from your attic.  These fans are a little more expensive than traditional attic fans, but are “off the grid” and won’t push you electricity bill back up as they run throughout the summer.  The shingles on your roof will also last longer due to the lower summer temperatures in your attic.  The increased ventilation can also reduce moisture build up which can lead to mold and rot.  Level 8

In the cold of winter it's great to feel warm and cozy, but you don't have to turn up the thermostat and heat your entire house.  Use a space heater or two to heat the few spaces that you are actually using and save on your heating bills.  Level 2

Investing in a super energy efficient refrigerator and freezer makes the most sense if you have or are planning to invest in a solar electric system, since every dollar invested in energy saving products will save several dollars in the cost of your solar electric system.  Once a household has converted to using CFL’s and LED light bulbs, the refrigerator typically becomes the largest electrical load in the house besides the air conditioner.  Energy Star appliances use about 15 – 20% less energy than the 2001 standard, while super efficient refrigerators use about 50% less. This is one of the biggest ways to conserve energy. These appliances come in a variety of types and sizes and can come in a variety of custom finishes in order to match the design of your kitchen.  Level 9

This strategy gives a whole new meaning to cooking out.  Solar Ovens use sunlight instead of natural gas or electricity to cook your dinner.  Sunlight bounces off of reflectors enters the oven through a glass panel, and strikes the black surfaces inside the oven.  The inside of the oven can quickly reach 350° to 400° F and boil, steam and bake most foods in the same time a conventional oven can.  Besides saving energy, these ovens are said to keep your food moister and better tasting.  During the summer months, using a solar oven has a double positive impact: by not cooking indoors your air conditioner does not have to cool off the kitchen that your oven just heated up.  Level 8

The typical hot water heater that sits in a basement or utility room keeps a huge amount of water hot all of the time – while you are at work, while you are sleeping, while you are on vacation, while you are out to dinner.  Tankless water heaters on the other hand don’t heat any water until you need it.  The saving that you can realize by employing tankless water heaters varies by how many of them that you use.  If you have one large tankless water heater you will pay much less up front, but you will still have to wait for the hot water to travel from the water heater to the faucet, shower or tub – sometimes up to 30 seconds.  If you install several heaters – one in each bathroom, kitchen and laundry room, both your savings and your initial investment will be much greater.  By switching to tankless heat, you can expect to save 25% to 50% on your hot water heating bills, and now Federal Tax Credits help to reduce the up front costs.  Furthermore, tankless heaters take up much less space and typically last much longer than standard hot water heaters.  Level 6

Another free way to start saving energy is to simply turn down the thermostat (in the winter) and urn it up (in the summer.)  The average homeowner can realize a 1 – 3% energy cost savings for every degree.  Level 1 

Lighting accounts for about 10% of a home’s energy bills.  By simply turning off lights that you don’t need you will start saving energy and money immediately.  As an added bonus, your light bulbs will last even longer. This is also one of th easiest energy conservation tips to carry out. Level 1

With the popularity of computer games, social networking, e-mail and the internet growing every day, many of us are spending more time on our home computers and we are turning them off less and less.  However, by turning your computer off at night and your monitor when you will not be using it for more than 20 minutes the Department of Energy indicates that you could save an average of $90 on your electric bill every year.  Level 1

This product can pay for itself in a few weeks or never, it all depends if you use it and make other appropriate changes in your energy usage.  How much energy does your idle computer use, and how much is this costing you every day, week and year?  A Kill-a-Watt Wattage Meter can quickly help you determine which appliances are costing you the most to keep on by displaying kilowatt-hour consumption on a large LCD display and calculating expenses by the time period that you select.  With this amazing device you can also determine which appliances are very wasteful and  should be replaced first.  Level 5

If you can't afford a whole house fan or you are renting you may want to consider a Window Fan to cool your house during the night when the temperatures are lower than in the day.  Many times your house or appartment can be cooled off to such an extent that you can close your windows in the morning and the temperature in your house will stay quite comfortable for most if not all of the day.  Sleep in comfort and enjoy the savings from your window fans.  Level 3