We looked at dozens of energy surveys that help homeowners identify areas they can save money on their energy bills and came up with one conclusion. You won't be able to identify the problem by just using one survey. That being said energy usage surveys do have their place. They will allow you to see how your home measures up to the other homes in your area and at least give you a starting point to know whether or not you could be saving money. The ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick is a great place to start and will allow you to compare your household energy use to others across the country.

www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction= HOME_ENERGY_YARDSTICK.showGetStarted

On Texas Home Improvement we believe knowledge is power – the more you know about the energy saving products and services the better off you'll be as a homeowner. If you know what the product does then you will be less likely to be misinformed by a contractor trying to push their latest and greatest energy saving product on you during the hot summer months.

On Texas Home Improvement we take hundreds of calls every summer about energy conservation. Out of most of those calls one common theme remains the same. People want to know (1) How to save the most amount of money on their energy bills (2) While spending the least amount of money.

1. THE FREE FIX! Compact fluorescent light bulbs – An ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. (www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls; retrieved June 20, 2009)

2. Radiant Barrier – return on investment in two to five years. Do it yourself and the return may be as quick as four months. Please be careful not all radiant barriers are created equal there are literally hundreds of radiant barrier companies and many different methods of installation. We recommend the Energy Q Radiant Barrier. www.energyq.com from Advanced Techology.

3. Your HVAC system – If your current HVAC system is 10 years old or older in most cases you're already paying for a new air conditioner in high utility costs. Your Air Conditioner accounts for over 65% of your electric bill in the summer and with the financing available in some cases we are finding that homeowners are able to make the payments with the savings they are getting from the new efficient system. You should at minimum have your HVAC system serviced every 6 months by a reputable company.

4. Window Film – "having single pain, aluminum framed windows is the same as a hole in your wall," That is a lot of escaping air conditioned air! At the very least, you should install energy saving window film which will pay for itself in one to two electricity bills in the summer.

5. Window Replacement – ten windows for less than $4,000 from Wonderful Windows and Siding. This investment will pay for itself in five to seven years. While the value it adds to a home may only re-coup 50% in a re-sell situation, it will very likely help a home to sell more quickly. Look for our interview with Wonderful Windows and Siding in a future newsletter.