According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a programmable thermostat can save you approximately $180 per year in heating and cooling costs for the average American single-family home. It does this by raising or lowering the temperature automatically at different times of the day to keep you cool while you're active at home and to sav...

By now, you've probably heard or read about how much money and energy you can save by switching from traditional incandescent light bulbs to newer compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. If you have yet to make the switch, you're probably wondering, "Is there really that much of a  difference? How much money can I actually save?" To a...

Knowledge is power – and until recently it has been very difficult for residential electricity users to find out what their power usage really looks like. Oh sure, the electric company puts neat little graphics on your bill and shows you your total use, but can’t provide you with detailed information. They know you used the kilowa...

No matter the season, your home is an energy-consuming machine. Some homes are a lot more efficient than others – in general, the newer your home, the less wasted energy it uses – but every home is literally loaded with places where you can cut your bills with simple modifications or painless lifestyle adjustments. Energy use makes fo...

The two biggest home energy expenses for most Americans are heating the house in the winter and cooling it down in the summer. Of the two, cooling costs are harder on consumers because while you can burn cheap natural gas or wear a sweater in the winter, in the summertime there is usually only one practical option: air conditioning, runni...