Consumer Tips

There are many actions that consumers in the Southwest can take to increase energy efficiency and lower their energy bills. A great place to start is the SWEEP publication, “What Every Westerner Should Know About Energy Efficiency and Conservation.”

America’s Untapped Energy Resource: Boosting Efficiency This Time Magazine article is an excellent and very readable introduction to the economics of energy efficiency.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 invests an unprecedented $20 billion in energy efficiency, a nearly 10-fold increase over previous years. Much of this funding is in the form of home and vehicle tax credits to encourage energy efficiency investments for homeowners and businesses. Visit these sites for more info:

Energy Efficiency Home and Vehicle Tax Credits The Alliance to Save Energy provides a thorough summary of home and vehicle tax credits, with detailed information on tax credits available for specific vehicles.
Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency This ENERGY STAR website details tax credits available to homeowners, home builders, and commercial buildings.

The following web sites provide detailed information on what can be done to cut energy waste in homes, vehicles, and workplaces, as well as access to other resources.

Energy Savers: Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home The U.S. Department of Energy has updated its brochure and website, providing the latest and greatest tips on ways to save energy at home. The site includes quick, easy tips to save energy, as well as tips for long-term energy savings.
Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy website includes lists of top-rated products, home energy checklist, and ordering information for this highly regarded handbook.
Hybrid Electric Vehicles Resource Page SWEEP has developed a resource page dedicated to hybrid electric vehicles, for those looking to save money and gasoline in their choice of an automobile. This page includes information on top-rated hybrid models, news about hybrid and other fuel-efficient vehicles, information on government tax incentives for the purchase of a hybrid, and answers to frequently-asked-questions.
Power Smart The Alliance to Save Energy's home energy booklet site includes tips on saving energy in the home, checklists, and links to other resources.
Home Energy Checkup This web-based tool from the Alliance to Save Energy utilizes an interactive scorecard for cutting your home's energy bill. Find out how much your energy bill would drop as energy efficiency measures are selected.
ColoradoEnergy.org is a comprehensive energy information site for the state of Colorado. It includes a Home Energy Checklist and Energy Action Guide, along with links to many other sources of energy information.
ENERGY STAR.gov The U.S. EPA and DOE’s ENERGY STAR web site lists ENERGY STAR appliances, heating and cooling equipment, lighting products, office equipment, windows, and more.
Home Energy Saver This is web-based, do-it-yourself home energy audit tool from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

© 2002- Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
2260 Baseline Rd. Suite 212, Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-0078 fax: (303) 786-8054 info@swenergy.org

Last Updated: 03/30/2009