Improve the efficiency of your water heater and plumbing with insulation. You can easily wrap a water heater with an insulation jacket in about 10 minutes. And wrapping pipes is just as easy with self-adhesive insulation tape from the plumbing aisle. Using energy-efficient light fixtures and compact fluorescent bulbs can cut that in half. Start with automating the lighting inside and outside your home.
Install motion sensing fixtures and switches, so lights only go on when spurred by activity.
Timers let you create schedules for your lighting up to seven days a week. And lights with photo sensors automatically come on at dusk. Fluorescent fixtures and bulbs provide light using a fraction of the energy and last 6 to 10 times longer. You'll find many attractive styles of fluorescent fixtures for use throughout your home. And now, compact fluorescent bulbs screw into conventional sockets and fit inside most lamps and light fixtures.