The typical American family spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A home energy assessment, or audit, is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more efficient, saving energy and money.

Homeowners can conduct a simple, no-cost, do-it-yourself home energy audit, contact the local utility company for a low-cost assessment, or call an independent energy auditor for a higher cost, more comprehensive examination.

In a no-cost, do-it-yourself energy assessment, the homeowner walks through the home, top to bottom, checking for leaks. Leaks can be found around electrical outlets, switch plates, window frames, baseboards, fireplaces, doors, attic hatches, and window or wall mounted air conditioners.

Look for gaps around pipes and wire, outlets, foundation seals and mail slots. Most holes can be filled with expanding foam or caulk, and homeowners can consult with a local hardware store for the best and safest remedy. Caulk, weather strip and low cost plastic sheets can fix window leaks.

Other inexpensive ways to cut back on energy consumption include installing energy-efficient light bulbs, plugging electronic devices into power strips and turn off the strips at night or when not in use, and installing a programmable thermostat. Good luck!

Metal roofs are definitely gaining in popularity. Not just for buildings, but in homes as well. Probably the two biggest reasons many are jumping on the metal roof bandwagon is that metal roofs are extremely durable, and they save energy.

The truth is that a metal roof will actually reduce your cooling bills in those hot summer months because it reflects the radiant heat from the sun. Shingles tend to absorb radiant heat and that can actually make your house hotter in the summer.

While metal roofs do cost a little more than a traditional roof, you will save more money over time.  It will end up costing you much less over the years as you won’t have to worry about it wearing out as quickly. Metal roofs usually come with a 50 year warranty on repairs and labor if you have it installed by a professional metal roof installation company. You will notice that a metal roof is much easier to patch if you get any leaks, which is very uncommon. Shingles will tend to tear off the roof in strong winds and allow water to leak into your home; whereas metal roofing tends to stay in place much better.

There are some people that can get a government tax credit if they have a metal roof installed. This could be the deciding factor for most homeowners. Whatever reason you have for installing a metal roof, you will soon find out that your decision had merit. With easier maintenance and a longer lifespan, a metal roof is a good solid investment for your home.

Summer is right around the corner which means that high energy bills are coming too! Contrary to what many people believe, cooling down a hot room does not solely rely on your air conditioner. Here are a few easy ideas for you to use the next time you start to bake in the summer heat.

For many homeowners, their energy bills are typically the costliest of their ongoing monthly expenses. The first step to reducing this bill is to find out how energy efficient your home is. Evaluating home energy efficiency is the key to understanding where the problems lie in your home.

• One of the keys for lowering your home heating and cooling bills is having the proper duct work in place. If you don’t currently have any, then it is time to install some.
• Another tip is paint. How a room is painted is going to affect the temperature of that room. Try to paint in the colder end of the color spectrum which includes the various shades of blue, green, black, white or grey.
• Installing dark colored shades or curtains, and keeping them closed during the hottest portions of the day is going to cool off the room significantly.
• If you have to be around the house throughout the day, then try using a fan. A few well placed fans throughout the house, usually near the doorways and windows is going to help create a breeze throughout the entire house. This helps to reduce the temperature in that oven of a room, since heat likes to radiate, cooling off other rooms is going to help create an area for the heat to escape to.

If you are about to build your dream house, it’s important to make choices that you love, but that don’t break the budget! Let’s talk about a few ways to save money when deciding on those dream house features.

Let’s start with flooring. The most common flooring choices in the family room or great room are carpeting, laminate hardwood, engineered hardwood, or site-finished solid hardwood. Carpet is usually the least expensive option, but may need to be replaced in 5-10 years, due to wear. Hardwood is another popular option. It can be expensive, but with proper care and eventual refinishing, can last for the life of the home. High-quality engineered or laminate floors can cost as much as site-finished natural hardwoods, or even more. It’s important to determine what the best investment is for your budget, initially and long-term.

In today’s homes, fireplaces are chosen more often for their visual appeal and the lure of cozy, romantic winter evenings than for traditional heating imperatives. In 1991, 62% of new homes had a fireplace. By 2007, only 51% of new homes included fireplaces. And most fireplaces today are gas, rather than wood-burning. A full, floor-to-ceiling stone surround can be the most striking focal point in your home. But it can get expensive, so you may also want to consider a ceramic tile fireplace, which can also look beautiful as well. (This will also be a big money saver!)

Now let’s talk about built-ins. Beautiful yes, but their price can definitely add up. A beautiful, furniture grade built-in with lower cabinetry, upper bookshelves, and special places for electronics can really make a room sizzle. But this type of upgrade can cost several thousands of dollars. If you simply can’t afford this, talk to your builder about “framing“ in preparation for future additions.

A higher ceiling can make a home feel a lot larger than it actually is, but it does have its drawbacks. If lower heating and cooling costs and more efficient use of space are more important to you than open space overhead, you might agree with the most recent trends that are replacing wide-open ceilings with a full size bonus room occupying that space. This a good option that will definitely save you on your energy bills.

If you think that this isn’t the right time to remodel your house, experts say think again! Think about it, contractors are not busy so they are discounting jobs. The construction industry rebounded somewhat last year, however business is still slow. Remember when getting a contractor to call you back was a challenge?

Now the best pros in town will be happy to bid on your job — and they’ll probably offer you prices well below the norm. Another plus is that materials are down. Plywood is down 23% since its peak in the mid-2000s. Drywall is off 29%, framing lumber 35%.

Not all raw materials prices have fallen that much. Asphalt roofing, which is made from a petroleum byproduct, is down only 7% over the past two years. Insulation — which has been in high demand because of energy rebates and high fuel prices — is down a mere 2% since 2006. Still, on the whole, construction supplies are bargains right now.

Experts say as a whole, selling a home is still a challenge. And because moving remains far costlier than improving, remodeling is a good choice.

Experts say, if you can remodel your way into staying put long term, you can hold on to that once-in-a-lifetime rate. In a few years interest rates are predicted to be somewhere at six or seven percent. When it comes time to sell your place, chances are you’ll probably wind up having to do the sorely needed renovations you didn’t take care of earlier. Not only does that add a huge amount of stress to the process of putting your house on the market, but you still end up spending the money quite possibly when contractor, materials, and borrowing costs are higher. This is why experts say, this is the prefect time to remodel. Why not get the benefits of a new furnace or an updated bathroom for you and your family instead of buying them for the house’s next owners?