Ever wonder why your home is drafty even when all the windows are shut?  Or why no matter how often you turn the air conditioner off, your cooling bill is always $500/month?

You might need to replace your leaky windows with double-paned windows or you might need to add insulation to your attic.  You might also need to buy a more energy efficient in-room air conditioner.  or maybe you can generate some solar power on your roof to lower your energy bill too.  Chances are you probably have to do more than one of these upgrades - but the question is which one should you do first?

Wattbot believes the best upgrade and the one that you should do first is the one that is the most cost-effective.  Type your home’s address into www.wattbot.com to find out what the most cost-effective solution is for your home.

Luckily, the House of Representatives passed the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act which gives anywhere between $3,000 and $8,000 to homeowners who install energy efficient upgrades.  Homeowners can take advantage of one of the two rebate programs, Silver or Gold Star.

Silver Star
Homeowners receive matching funds up to 50%of the total project cost, however, individual appliances would be eligible for rebates of $250.

Gold Star
Homeowners can get a $3,000 rebate if they conduct a whole-house energy analysis and install products that increase their overall energy efficiency by 20%. Plus, you’d be eligible for an additional $1,000 rebate for each further 5% efficiency improvement, up to $8,000.

This bill is also called Cash for Caulkers, so keep your eyes out for the Senate’s vote - it would bring more government funding to the energy efficient upgrades that all homeowners can benefit from.  Leave your questions in the comments.