Eco-Friendly Home Swaps: Which Ones Save Money and Energy

Your peace is the product.

Eco-friendly swaps can start to feel like a shopping list with a price tag on every item. We think a better starting question is which changes cost nothing and which ones pay you back.

Where ENERGY STAR finds the savings

On lighting, ENERGY STAR says swapping your five most-used fixtures or bulbs for certified lights saves about $40 a year, and that its LED bulbs use up to 90 percent less energy and last 15 times longer than standard bulbs. On heating and cooling, a certified smart thermostat can cut bills by more than 8 percent, about $50 a year, and about $100 a year if the home is empty much of the day. Certified room air conditioners use 9 percent less energy. It also suggests closing shades and drapes in warm weather, opening them on cold days to use the sun’s warmth, and keeping air registers clear of furniture.

For electronics and laundry, it suggests plugging equipment into a power strip and using it as a single switch to cut power fully, and says certified televisions, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players and soundbars can save about $130 over their lifetime. In the laundry room, it advises cleaning the lint trap before every load, which it says can save up to $34 a year, and using cold water when possible (ENERGY STAR, Low and no-cost tips).

Put together, we read the list as two kinds of swap. Some cost nothing, such as the drapes, the power strip and the lint trap. Others cost money up front and pay back over years, such as bulbs, thermostats and certified appliances. These are program estimates, so your own bill will depend on your rates, your climate and how long each device is in use. We would treat them as a typical case and not a promise.

How we would start

Begin with the swaps that cost nothing: open or close the drapes with the weather, plug your television setup into a power strip, and clean the lint trap before each load. Replace bulbs as they burn out, and choose certified appliances when an old one needs replacing anyway. A new product only pays back if you were going to buy it regardless, so there is no need to retire something that still works.

The bottom line

The cheapest swap is also a good first one. Choose one from the free list this week and let the rest wait for their turn.