This audit might actually save you money

My colleague Steven has been nagging me for months to replace the halogen floor lamp in my office. It’s not that he finds it unattractive—this nice-looking modern fixture does add ambience to an otherwise drab room. Rather, Mr. Know-It-All tells me, this fixture is an energy hog and chows down far more electricity than a lamp that uses compact fluorescent lightbulbs and even incandescents. Indeed, this fixture can cost up to $100 to run each year.

Thank goodness Steven hasn’t seen my aquarium at home. Sure, it’s kind of dirty since I dread cleaning it, but I’m more concerned he’s going to howl about how much electricity the equipment uses since some aquarium gear can consume as much juice as a refrigerator.

How’d I find this energy-consumption information? I ran an energy audit with the Home Energy Saver (shown). This calculator from the U.S. Department of Energy estimates home energy use and carbon-dioxide emissions and provides you with advice on how to reduce both.

It’s a pretty neat tool. I plugged in my ZIP code and within seconds found out that the average house in my New York City suburb spends $2,267 annually on energy—nationwide the average is about $1,300—while an energy-efficient home there spends $1,451.

Entering a bit more information got me a more-accurate estimate of my energy use—I actually spend about $3,000 a year—and a laundry list of changes to consider, such as replacing halogen and incandescent bulbs with CFLs where possible in high-use fixtures (there you go, Steven), insulating boiler pipes, installing an Energy Star–qualified programmable thermostat, and upgrading my refrigerator, dishwasher, and heating system to new, more-efficient models.

By making all of these changes, according to the calculator, I could save almost $1,500 a year. Since I’m not planning on moving anytime soon, I really need to boost the energy efficiency of my old house . . . and stop wasting money.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Read our expert advice for 10 easy ways to save hundreds of dollars on household energy costs.