Increasing the energy efficiency in one's home can save money and make the home more comfortable in the winter and summer months. Click through to find out how you can increase your home's energy efficiency in both long term and DIY weekend projects.

1. Knowledge is power! Have an energy audit
done in your home by a certified
professional. This will give you much
needed insight into the biggest sources of
energy loss in your home. Once you have
this information, you’ll know where to focus
your weatherization goals. And don’t be
afraid of the cost of such an assessment,
many local utilities perform this audit at no
additional cost to their customers or use a
home performance contractor for the
service. Find out about incentives to help
you with this cost at the Database of State
Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.

2. Use energy assessment tools to help you
know more about your home and the
average energy usage in your area. Energy
Star is a government program that helps
individuals and business identify and
implement energy efficient products and
practices. The Energy Star Home Energy
Yardstick can help home owners asses their
energy usage in just a few minutes. There are
even fun sites like Dropoly that make energy
saving into a game with real world
applications.

3. Seal up your drafty house. Poorly
sealed homes can let 20% or more
of their heating and cooling costs
go draining through cracks
through windows or attics. Install
high-efficiency windows and use
caulking around joints to cut down
on drafts.

4. Energy leaks aren’t limited to
windows and doorways. Insulation is
a key part of increasing your home’s
efficiency. If you’re a fan of home
improvement projects, there are DIY
tips for adding insulation to attics and
basements. Otherwise, a skilled
contractor will be able to both assess
your needs and complete the project.

5. A low cost tip: Put old Styrofoam packing
materials or containers in the attic to act as
insulation.

6. When adding insulation, don’t forget
about protecting pipes and sealing
ducts. These small heat or cooling
losses can quickly add up on your
utility bill.

7. Use natural breezes to help cool your
home. Install storm windows, screen
doors, window screens and window
shades to give you more control over
the flow of air and light in and out of
your home—without worrying about
pests invading your living space. Keep
window shades open on winter days
to let in sunlight and closed on
summer days to maintain cool interior
temperatures.

8. Use energy monitoring tools such as
programmable thermostats, a smart
meter, or energy management systems.
These tools can help you keep the
temperature in your home in sync with
your daily activities. If no one is home
during the day, it doesn’t make sense to
heat or cool empty rooms. Set the
thermostat to kick in 30 minutes before
you get home so you walk into a
comfortable setting without having
wasted a day’s worth of energy. There are
even systems you can access remotely in
case your schedule changes or to
accommodate pets or guests.

9. Low cost tip: Use common sense. While
indoors dress warmly in winter with
sweaters and socks and in summer take
cooler showers to reduce the need for your
home to do the work of regulating your
body temperature.

10. Fix leaks – one leaking faucet can
waste 3 gallons of water a day! It’s
usually a pretty simple job to
tighten seals or replace old or
worn-out hardware. For bigger
jobs you might need to call in a
plumber but see what you can
tackle on your own. Don’t let a
leaking faucet drain money out of
your wallet.

11. Upgrade your water heater. Energy
Star, tankless, and solar water heaters
are all options that can save you
anywhere from 7-100% on your water
heating bills. The savings you realize will
often pay for the upfront costs of the
investment in as little as a few years and
some Energy Star labeled models
qualify for a tax credit.

12. Low cost tip: Set your water heater to 120° F.
Most are automatically set at 140 ° F and
those 20 degrees won’t be missed in daily
use, but you’ll be happy to save 10% on
heating costs.

13. Install a greywater system – Greywater is
any household waste water other than
from the toilet, kitchen garbage disposal,
or water used to wash soiled diapers.
This water—which would normally be a
pollutant for rivers, streams or septic
systems—can be beneficially reused for
lawn irrigation. Explore whether a
greywater recycling system is right for
your home and region to see if you can
reduce your need for freshwater for
outdoor use.

14. Install high-efficiency lighting – this
one likely isn’t news to anyone, but
many homes still haven’t made the
switch to high-efficiency lighting. The
cost for these light bulbs (including
CFLs, LEDs, and halogens) has come
down significantly over the last few
years and recent technology advances
may even lead to a light bulb that
doesn’t need to be changed for a
decade or more.

15. Low cost tip: use strategic lighting to
brighten the area where you’re working or
reading rather than trying to light an entire
room.

16. Find out more. The LEED program is a
voluntary system of metrics that grades a
building’s green design. LEED stands for
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design and rates buildings—including
homes—on a range of categories including
water efficiency and conservation, sustainable
building materials, indoor environmental
quality and occupant health. Home owners or
builders can work with a certified LEED for
Homes Green Rater on home improvement or
new construction projects. Additionally, there
are steps individuals can take to meet high
LEED standards on their own without filing for
certification. Find out more about LEED for
Homes with their Green Home Guide.