Warm homes & cool savings

Consumers now have access to a tool that can help them reduce their energy bills up to 25 percent by making some simple improvements around their home.

The ENERGY STAR Home Advisor provides consumers with customized recommendations for improving energy efficiency and comfort at home.

The average family spends $1,900 per year on energy bills.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that homeowners can save up to 10 percent on their annual energy bill simply by sealing air leaks and adding insulation.

If every American home improved energy efficiency by 10 percent, the result would be 800 pounds of carbon removed from the air each year.

Using the ENERGY STAR Home Advisor, homeowners can enter their zip code and some basic information about the types of fuel used to heat and cool their home, and get recommended home improvement projects to increase energy efficiency and comfort. Homeowners can also see the average energy savings for these improvements and associated greenhouse gas reductions.

Common recommendations include sealing air leaks and ducts; adding insulation; installing a programmable thermostat; replacing older heating, cooling, and water heating equipment with more efficient units; as well as changing lighting, appliances and windows to ENERGY STAR qualified models.

Visit www.energystar.gov/homeadvisor to get started.