Updated October 2026. A measure-first plan for an energy-efficient home: set a baseline from your bills, fix the biggest losses in order, then check the results. Figures from EIA, ENERGY STAR and the IRS, read October 29, 2026.
To make your home an energy efficiency rockstar, measure before you spend. The average U.S. home bought about 899 kWh of electricity a month (EIA, 2022 data), which is roughly $163 a month at August 2026’s average price of 18.16 cents per kWh. Know your own number, seal and insulate first, then upgrade equipment and track the change.
Jump to: ⏱️ Your baseline · 🪜 What to fix first · 🏠 Roof and attic · 💲 Tax credits · 📸 Track it · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- EIA puts the average home at 10,791 kWh a year; Louisiana homes averaged 14,774 and Hawaii homes 6,178.
- Sealing air leaks and adding insulation can save up to 10% on yearly energy bills, per ENERGY STAR.
- A smart thermostat saves about $100 a year in homes with high heating and cooling bills (ENERGY STAR).
- The federal 25C and 25D home energy credits ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025 (IRS).
How do you find your home’s energy baseline?
Every good energy plan starts with a boring spreadsheet. Pull 12 months of electric and gas bills. Write down the kWh (and therms, if you have gas) for each month, not just the dollars. Prices move. Usage is what you control.
Many utilities make this easy with a “Green Button” download. The Green Button Alliance runs a directory where you can check whether your utility offers it. One click gives you your usage history as a file you can open in a spreadsheet or an energy app. If your utility doesn’t, the last 12 bills work fine.
Now compare. EIA reports that the average U.S. residential customer bought 10,791 kWh in 2022, about 899 kWh a month. At August 2026’s national average residential price of 18.16 cents per kWh, that’s about $1,960 a year. If you’re well above that, and your house isn’t unusually large or all-electric in a hot state, there’s probably waste to find.
Look at the shape of the year, too. A big summer spike points at cooling and the roof. A winter spike points at heating, air leaks and insulation. A flat, high line all year points at things that run all the time: an old fridge in the garage, a pool pump, a dehumidifier, or electronics left on.
What should you fix first?
Go cheap and boring first, expensive and shiny last. Here’s the order we’d follow in most homes.
| Step | Typical cost | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Change HVAC filters, book a tune-up | Low | ENERGY STAR: check filters monthly, change at least every 3 months |
| 2. Seal air leaks, add attic insulation | Low to medium | Up to 10% off yearly energy bills (ENERGY STAR) |
| 3. Seal and insulate ducts | Medium | Up to 20% better system efficiency (ENERGY STAR) |
| 4. Smart thermostat | Low to medium | About $100 a year in high-use homes (ENERGY STAR) |
| 5. Replace old equipment | High | Do it after the leaks are fixed, or you oversize the new system |
| 6. Solar or batteries | High | No federal 25D credit for systems placed in service after 2025 (IRS) |
Why this order? Because a new furnace or air conditioner can’t fix a leaky house. ENERGY STAR says it plainly: before you invest in a new system, deal with the big air leaks and the ducts, because they’re sometimes the real problem.
Air sealing is mostly caulk, weatherstripping and foam around pipes, wires and the attic hatch. Insulation comes in batts, blown-in loose fill, spray foam and rigid boards, and the right one depends on where it goes. The attic is usually the best place to start.
Appliances and lighting
When an appliance dies, replace it with an ENERGY STAR model. Don’t throw out a working one just for efficiency unless it’s very old. The exception is the second fridge in the garage, which often runs hot all summer and costs more than you think. Swap any remaining incandescent bulbs for LEDs, which ENERGY STAR says make light up to 90% more efficiently.
Smart controls help with the stuff you forget. A smart thermostat learns your schedule. Smart plugs and timers shut off a pool pump, a dehumidifier or a TV setup when nobody needs them.
How do the roof and attic affect energy use?
In hot climates, the roof is the biggest heater you never asked for. ENERGY STAR cites Lawrence Berkeley National Lab research: on a typical summer afternoon, a clean white roof that reflects 80% of sunlight stays about 50°F cooler than a gray roof that reflects 20%. Cool roofs save the most in hot, sunny places like the Southern U.S., on buildings with little roof insulation.
That’s why a roofer often belongs on your energy team, especially in Texas and Florida. Working with a trusted roofing contractor in Houston, or in your own city, can cover a cool-roof option at replacement time, attic ventilation, and how insulation and ducts sit under the roof deck. Ask for the solar reflectance of any shingle or coating they suggest.
If your ducts run through a hot attic, seal them with mastic or foil tape and wrap them in insulation. ENERGY STAR notes that a typical duct system loses 20 to 30 percent of the air it moves through leaks and bad connections.
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Buy a home →Can you still get tax credits for energy upgrades?
Not the big federal ones. The IRS says the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) covered improvements made through December 31, 2025. The Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D), which covered 30% of solar, battery and geothermal costs, isn’t available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.
That changes the math on solar. Without the 30% credit, payback takes longer, so get at least two quotes and run the numbers on your actual usage from step one. Check your utility and state for rebates, which still exist in some places. For a deeper look at ratings and paperwork, see our guide to improving your home’s energy rating.
How do you track whether the upgrades worked?
Go back to your spreadsheet. Compare each month with the same month last year, not with last month. Weather swings make month-to-month numbers useless. If you can, note the average temperature for the month too, or use your utility’s app, which often adjusts for weather.
Make one change at a time when you can. If you seal the attic in March and add a smart thermostat in April, you’ll know which one moved the summer bill. Keep the receipts and dates in the same file.
That file pays off later. When you sell, 12 months of utility costs and a list of upgrades with dates answer one of the first questions buyers ask. For habits that trim the bill right away, read our practical tips to keep energy bills down. If your rooms are uneven, our guide to managing temperature as a homeowner goes room by room, and our heat pump explainer helps when it’s time to replace the system.
Do energy upgrades raise home value?
They make a house easier to sell, because lower bills are a benefit buyers can see in numbers. Put the upgrades and the utility history in your listing description and have the paperwork ready for showings. For the bigger picture, see how to increase the value of your property, and check a starting price with our home value calculator.
When you’re ready, Beycome can list your home on the major home search sites and the MLS from $99, with $0 to Beycome at closing. You keep control of the price, the showings and every decision.
Energy efficiency questions
How do I make my home more energy efficient?
Start with 12 months of bills to set a baseline. Then change filters, seal air leaks, add attic insulation and seal ducts before buying new equipment. Track each month against the same month last year.
How much electricity does an average home use?
About 10,791 kWh a year, or 899 kWh a month, per EIA’s 2022 figures. Use ranged from about 6,178 kWh in Hawaii to 14,774 kWh in Louisiana.
What is the cheapest way to save energy at home?
Air sealing with caulk and weatherstripping, a clean HVAC filter, and LED bulbs. ENERGY STAR says sealing and insulating can save up to 10% on yearly energy bills.
Is there still a federal tax credit for home energy upgrades?
Not for new work. The IRS says 25C covered improvements made through December 31, 2025, and 25D doesn’t apply to property placed in service after that date. Check state and utility rebates instead.
Does a cool roof really lower energy bills?
In hot, sunny climates, yes. ENERGY STAR cites research showing a white roof reflecting 80% of sunlight can stay about 50°F cooler than a gray roof reflecting 20%. The savings are smaller in cold climates.
How can I track my home’s energy use?
Ask your utility whether it offers a Green Button download of your usage, or log the kWh from each bill. Compare each month with the same month a year earlier.
Usage figures are EIA’s 2022 averages; prices are EIA’s August 2026 averages; your rate and use differ, so the dollar figures are estimates. Savings figures are ENERGY STAR’s and depend on the home. Tax credit dates are from IRS pages read October 29, 2026; this is not tax advice. Beycome Basic is $99 as of October 2026 (from November 2, 2026, Basic is $129 in California and Illinois); $0 at closing means no Beycome fee at closing, while other closing costs still apply. Beycome lists in 17 states and DC.
Sources
- EIA, How much electricity does an American home use?, read October 29, 2026.
- EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, August 2026, read October 29, 2026.
- ENERGY STAR, Seal and Insulate, read October 29, 2026.
- ENERGY STAR, Heat and Cool Efficiently, read October 29, 2026.
- ENERGY STAR, Duct Sealing, read October 29, 2026.
- ENERGY STAR, Cool Roofs, read October 29, 2026.
- ENERGY STAR, Learn About LED Lighting, read October 29, 2026.
- IRS, Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, read October 29, 2026.
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit, read October 29, 2026.
- Green Button Alliance, Green Button standard and directory, read October 29, 2026.
- Beycome, listing package features, October 2026.
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