You may have seen the Energy Star label in stores. It’s a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy and its goal is to help people save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. According to the website, energystar.gov, the program helped Americans save enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars and save $16 billion on their utility bills.
The site has a Home Energy Yardstick, which lets you compare your home’s energy efficiency to similar homes across the country and gives recommendations for energy-saving home improvements.