We compared 4 homes in the US using Wattbot.com and found that no two homes are alike when it comes to saving money on their energy bill. 

We recommended installing a solar hot water system to the family of three living in a 1972 single-family home in Orinda, California and it would only cost them $1,837 upfront. 

However, even though the solar hot water incentives in New York were bigger, the most cost-effective energy saving recommendation for the Scarsdale home built in 1900 was to install solar electric (Solar PV) panels. Then again it would cost them $25,000 upfront, but the next logical choice to reduce their bill would be to install insulation for less than $1000 upfront and they would still make money on that investment assuming they stayed in their home for another 15 years.

The homes in Randolph, New Jersey and Bethany, Connecticut both got the same recommendation - to install insulation - however, the insulation incentives in New Jersey came out to $300 more than Connecticut’s, although the upfront costs of installing insulation in both states is just under $2,000.

What was surprising was that replacing a refrigerator, while there are rebates available, never came up as the most cost-effective choice, although compared to the other recommendations - it is one of the cheaper upfront cost improvements you can make to lower your energy bill.

Now it’s your turn, type your address into www.wattbot.com and see what the most cost effective way is for you to save money on your energy bill.  Send us an email with your top recommendation and you’ll have a chance to be in our next video.

When I asked some friends, “What would you do to lower your electric bills?”, they got creative and sent me a list of the top things they have done in the past year to save money on their gas, electric and heating oil bills.  Here are some of my favorites:

1. “Put surge protectors on more outlets and turned them off - it would be awesome if we had a master switch in the front of your house that could control all of those accessories that don’t need to be plugged in.” -Ash B.
2. “Got rid of cable TV which means our television is only on when we are watching a specific show. That cut out electric bill in more than half!” -Liza T.
3. “We put blinds on every window so that we can open them to let in heat and light in the winter and keep out those same elements in the summer.” -Julia B.

What have you done in the past year to lower your energy bills?