New efficient appliances Via Flickr - redjar

There have been rumors of a new stimulus program being announced, and thankfully they’re now coming true. Much like the Cash for Clunkers bill that allowed Americans to trade in gas-guzzling vehicles for more fuel efficient ones, the new Cash for Caulkers program, as it has been dubbed, could make each home eligible for up to $12,000 in rebate money for improving efficiencies. The same bill will also provide funding for businesses working in the renewable energy and efficiency sectors.

With the total program expected to be in the range of about $10 billion, it would provide funds for homes that replace old heating and cooling systems, appliances, and insulation with new, more efficient options. Though the percentage that would be rebated has yet to be determined, some are speculating that it could be as much as 50%, allowing people to spend $24,000 in upgrades and then receive half of it back.

This is an excellent idea, not only because it can go a long way to reducing our dependency on fossil fuels, but also because it has the potential to significantly lower residential utility bills for those who participate in the program. Some estimate that the improvements could reduce home energy consumption by as much as 20%. Find out more at Yahoo Finance.

And on the subject of fossil fuels and energy efficiency, don’t forget to take action in support of strong climate action at this week’s Copenhagen talks. Be part of the green noise (COP15 was the biggest topic on Google today).

Saving power with better appliances Via Flickr - hitormissIncreasing insulation to save energy Via Flickr - Velo Steve

Thermostat at 69 degrees Via Flickr - t-bet

It’s the beginning of November, and for many that means winter has arrived, and with it heating season. Keeping indoor temps at a comfortable level costs North Americans a great deal in terms of money and energy. In fact, the average American will spend nearly $2,000 every year for heating, whether that be with oil, gas, electricity, or wood stove. It all adds to our climate footprint as well, with heating being one of the biggest residential contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

But there are some very cost-effective (free!) things you can do to lower your heating bill and cut your carbon dioxide emissions. With just a few quick little environmentally-friendly seasonal changes to your heating system, you could help the country reduce its dependency on fossil fuels while saving energy, too.

Programmable Thermostat at 60 Degrees Via Flickr - Mr.Thomas

Lower your thermostat

Your thermostat is one of the most important tools you could use to lower your home’s energy impact. Learning how to maximize thermostat settings for efficiency is a great way to cut how much energy you use to heat your home.

Each season, you should readjust your thermostat settings. Now that it’s winter for many of us, it’s time to turn the setting down to 68°F or lower for those times when your home is occupied. It can go even lower when you’re asleep and when you’re not at home to further reduce your heating costs.

Make your job even easier by installing a programmable thermostat to do the work of adjusting for you. There are rebates for this simple upgrade for many states, and a programmable thermostat may just save you $150 every year on heating and cooling costs. Get more ideas from the Alliance to Save Energy.

Reverse Ceiling Fan in Winter Via Flickr - dane brian

Reverse your fan direction

Yes, it might seem counterproductive to run a fan in the middle of the winter, but a ceiling fan can actually help to reduce your heating costs. How? Well, if you reverse your fan’s rotation from counter-clockwise to clockwise, you’ll help to force warm air that’s trapped near the ceiling down to floor-level. This will ensure that your heated air is circulated more evenly, reducing the work your heating system has to do to keep you warm. It’s a low-free way to lower heating bills. Find out more at the Look Up Campaign.

Layer up

Yet another no-cost way to save on heating bills is the layering technique. What do we mean? Well, during the day, you can warm yourself up inexpensively by layering your clothing. As you get warmer, remove a layer or two. Likewise at night while you sleep—pile up the quilts to stay cozy at without raising the cost of heating. ENERGY STAR has even more ideas for how to heat and cool efficiently.

Ever wondered how well those energy meters for tracking your home energy consumption work and which one is the best for your particular home? You don’t have to wonder anymore!

The UK’s Energy Saving Day organization has joined forces with BBC’s former head of comedy (Jon Plowman) to produce a relatively complete review of the most popular energy monitors (including ones like Home Joule, Kill-a-Watt and Wattson) on the market today, and it’s available via YouTube video for anyone to view (in two parts, first part above, second below).

In this somewhat light-hearted look at energy monitors, Plowman walks through a good number of devices available on the consumer market one by one. He talks through how each of them works—where they connect, what they measure, how the display functions, and more—and identifies for each one some of the pros and cons of choosing it. In particular, he talks about cost and granularity of detail, two important factors in any energy monitor purchase.

Regardless of which device you select for your home, you can be guaranteed that you’ll save power every month if you pay attention to the readings. That’s the understanding Energy Saving Day is operating under. They believe that households in the know about their energy use are households with the power to cut their energy consumption.

It’s no surprise, either. If you discover, all of the sudden, that your refrigerator is adding a big load to your energy consumption and do the math to find out how much you’d save with a more efficient model, you’re more likely to replace it with something more power-saving. Their website points out that an energy monitor can help homeowners reduce energy consumption by as much as 10 to 20 percent annually.