How much do you use?

The ENERGY STAR website has great tools to get you started on a home energy audit. Use the Home Energy Yardstick to compare your usage with that of similar homes around the country. Get an even more direct reading of your energy consumption by purchasing a home energy use monitor. These little devices display your home's energy use in dollars and cents, showing you the savings that come from your efforts to conserve. Better yet, share this device friends and neighbors and start a friendly energy conservation competition.

Some of the energy you use doesn't go to appliances or lighting or anything at all. It simply seeps out of your poorly-sealed home. The amount of insulation your home needs varies from region to region--see ENERGY STAR's recommendations or the Department of Energy's Insulation Fact Sheet. When looking for insulation, consider these green alternatives made without formaldehyde, a carcinogenic chemical.

• Cotton-based insulation Available as a cotton-poly blend, a combination of cotton, boric acid and co-polyolefin, or with a foil facing.
• Cocoon insulation Contains 80% recycled newsprint plus about 20% ammonium sulfate and/or borate flame retardants.
• Glass fiber with acrylic binder This lightweight insulation is made of long, resilient glass fibers bonded with an acrylic rather than formaldehyde-based binder.

• Don’t heat or cool and empty house. A programmable thermostat and proper temperature settings can help you save about $180 per year.
  Calculate your savings from using a new thermostat.

• Stop those leaks.
• Size up your window air conditioner.
• Use some duct tape. Homes with a duct heating/cooling system lose 20 percent of the air moving through the duct system due to leaks and poorly sealed connections. Sealing your ducts can save you a bundle on bills.
• Keep it clean – your air filter, that is. If not cleaned every three months, filters make your system work less efficiently, hiking up your monthly bill and maintenance bills.

• Unplug or flip the switch. Be aware that your appliances are continuously drawing energy as long as they are plugged in. Did you know that 40% of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off? These "phantom loads" add an average of $200 to a home's yearly energy bill,. A simple way to save is to plug your appliances into a power strip and then turn them all off when not in use.
• Get a "smart power strip". If you have a hard time remembering to flip the switch at home or in the office, consider a smart power strip that will cut off phantom loads automatically when electronics are turned off.
• Replace ancient appliances. New ENERGY STAR models will save you money by using 10–50% less energy and water than standard models.
• Set your computer to standby mode and save $18 to $26 a year. Use one of these energy savings calculators to estimate how much you could save through power management features on your computer.
• Buy devices that have 80 Plus certified power supplies--otherwise you could be paying for an appliance that burns off a significant amount of the energy it uses as heat.

Water heating can account for 14%–25% of the energy consumed in your home. There are some easy ways to keep your money from going down the drain.

• Keep your water tank cozy. Most hot water heaters, both gas and electric, can run more efficiently if they are wrapped in an insulating blanket. Follow the steps in this Department of Energy guide for an inexpensive do-it-yourself project that can save you 4-9% a year on your hot water bill.
• Wash your laundry in cold water. You could save $60 or more on your annual energy spending by washing at least four out of every five loads on the cold setting. Learn more from the C3 campaign.
• Lower the temperature on your water heater thermostat to 120°. Often manufacturers will set the temperature higher than that.
• Go with the low-flow. You could save 25-60% on your water usage with an inexpensive, easy to install low-flow shower head, and you may not even be able to tell the difference in flow compared to your old, water-wasting model. New "smart" shower heads even allow the water to heat up to a certain temperature and then shut off until you're ready to get in.
• Purchase energy efficient clothes dryers and dishwashers. The next time you're on the market for one of these appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR label. These appliances use less water than other models, meaning that they require less work for your water heater as well.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs or CFLs are the smart choice for lighting your home: ENERGY STAR-rated CFLs will save you about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime. If you've already switched to CFLs, here’s even more you can do to improve your lighting's efficiency:

• Motion sensor-lights give you light when you need it. Instead of leaving the porch light on for hours, install motion sensor lights that only flick on for the few seconds you need them. Spaces inside the house where lights are often left on, like hallways or basements, can also benefit from motion-sensor lighting. In most cases these are do-it-yourself installations that don't require an electrician.
• Solar outdoor lights are a great idea for long driveways and dark yards. They soak up energy from the sun during the day and provide the illumination you need at night--off the grid and off your energy bill. Even shady areas can be lit if the sunlight-collecting cell is placed in a bright spot. Both the LED bulbs and the solar-powered batteries last for years.
• Innovative flashlights can provide emergency lighting without the use of batteries. In areas with frequent blackouts or storms, backup lighting is a must. Both the crank-powered flashlight and the shake flashlights produce light when you need it, without needing to be charged first.