Thanks to the energy choice program.  You can now choose where you purchase your electricity supply. Your utility will continue to deliver the electricity, read your meter and handle all billing and maintenance but now you could be paying less for the supply portion of your bill. It's the electricity you've always relied on at rates you have always wanted.

Simply become a customer and each month that you use over 250 kilowatt-hours we'll begin donating $1 to a charity of your choice. Typically, customers use over 750 kilowatt-hours per month so almost everyone will qualify each month.

The rumors that there are no more financial incentives for homeowners who want to become more energy efficient or switch from the old to new and renewable energy are false. And maybe you just want to save money on your home energy usage.   DSIRE, the Database of State Inentives for Renewables & Efficiency publishes an easy-to-use widget that we've included in this blog post that helps homeowners, renters and others find the financial incentives that apply to them. Just click what applies to you in the DSIRE widget to see what renewable and energy efficiency incentives are available in your state.


Depending on where you live, you could find financial loan programs, tax credits, property tax incentives and utility rebate programs worth thousands of dollars.

The DSIRE widget helps you easily navigate through DSIRE’s database for incentives in any U.S. State or territory.  DSIRE has created an easy dialog so you can find only the incentives relevant to you from the long list of Federal and Local government financial and tax incentives. 

The DSIRE widget does a nice job of simplifying a complex process by providing two easy pull-down windows that 1) lets you choose your location and 2) lets you identify yourself as a homeowner or renter; business; non-profit; school et al.  

Once upon a time, the cost to install solar power was too high for anyone to invest in solar as a source of energy.  However as the economy continues to languish, solar power installations have boomed.  There is no question that the base was small but nationwide, solar power installations grew by 102 percent from 2009 to 2010 and they are expected to double again this year.

A recent article from Huffington Post’s Green Section suggested that Solar is at a turning point.  Although solar power remains a tiny share of the power industry dwarfed by the power still generated from coal, gas and oil it’s time might be now. “The sun splashes more clean energy on the planet in one hour than humans use in a year, and daytime is when power is needed most.”  And Utility companies can erect large solar panel “farms’ near cities as well as in deserts.  With solar panels near where people live and work and use the power, the high costs of moving power through a grid can be reduced if not totally eliminated.

Solar still costs more than electricity produced by natural gas but prices for solar panels have dropped dramatically.  And financial incentives and creative financial partnerships between Utilities, real estate firms and banks have led to big plans to install solar systems on 750 commercial rooftops.  Not too long ago, you would have to ask homeowners to invest in the future and the environmental benefits of solar but the prices have fallen so fast that it is easier for installers to promote the financial benefits of solar.  Now homeowners who want to go so solar, can reap the energy costs benefits and see payback more quickly.

30,000 megawatts' worth of solar projects await approval in the U.S and if only half are approved and built, it would be five times what is already installed.  Hopefully, this momentum will continue leading to economies of scale, the further affordability of solar power installations and the expansion of this clean source of power.

Just like HomeESP on Facebook for your free entry to our Nest Learning Thermostat giveaway.  The Nest team includes Tony Fadell, who led the team that created the first 18 iPods for Apple, so you know this device is a pleasure to use.

The Nest Learning Thermostat is a $249 value, and we're giving it away free when we get 100 new likes on Facebook.  Ten seconds of your time could equal big savings on heating and cooling - and a very cool Nest Learning Thermostat for free!

If you want to reduce your cost of home heating and cooling, there's no more effective way than with a programmable thermostat.  Our daily deal for the Honeywell RTH6350 can't be beat.  It's an easy-to-install and easy-to-program thermostat for almost any kind of heating and cooling (except electric baseboard).  You'll see it elsewhere for its list price of $59.99 or maybe on Amazon.com for $53, but no one comes close to our daily deal price of just $35.99 including FREE shipping, handling and 90-day trial of HomeESP Premier.

Most people will wait until it is freezing in the heart of winter before they realize that there house is leaking and they are losing energy and heat... and paying a lot of money for the privilege.

Reduce your home energy and high fuel bills this winter by doing some prep work now on the house: 

• Seal your house and window leaks.  Walk around the house and you can feel the drafts.  The windows may have been opened during the summer but you need to shut them and caulk them if necessary.  If the leaks around the frame are really bad, you need to seal them properly.
• Plug any wasteful duct leaks.  There are often many places around the house where you can loose heat.  Plug them up as best as you can.
• If you can afford to, invest in a smart boiler so you can avoid waste and lower your heating bills.  Also if you become more aware, you can monitor and lower your hot water usage.
• There are many new low consumption light bulbs out there these days.  It might be time to upgrade before the nights become longer.

The folks at HomeESP want to encourage you to change to energy efficient light bulbs.  You will begin to save energy and money immediately.  And you can add to your savings $20 that HomeESP will send in the form of a cash rebate.

Check out for yourself how much money you can save by replacing your old bulbs with CFL bulbs by using the GE Energy Smart CFL Savings Calculator. 

A two-story house with 3 bedrooms, 21/2 baths, a finished basement and attic that we recently worked on had nearly '30' 100 watt bulbs, '14' more 60 watt bulbs and '4' 90 watt bulbs in outside lights.  The owners will save over $450 this year and $2,485 over the lifetime of their new CFL bulbs. 

We're very excited to announce that HomeESP Premier Members now qualify for a $100 rebate for energy-saving projects!  And it's easy to get, too.  Nearly any permanent installation that contributes to energy savings qualifies, as long as the total project cost is $300 or greater.

HomeESP will pay you $100 for any project that results in lowering your energy usage in your house.  Energy saving projects which are eligible for the $100 HomeESP Rebate include, but are not limited to, installing or replacing:

• New energy efficient windows
• Intelligent controls for your boiler
• Boiler, hot water heater, air conditioning or heat pump with more efficient models
• Programmable thermostats
• Insulation in  walls, attic or basement
• Solar electricity and/or hot water panels
• New appliances which are Energy-star Qualified

All you have to do is be a Premier Member in good standing for more than three months, start and complete your project, and provide details to document your new energy-saving installation.  And if you find your contractor via our contractor locator, we'll add $25 to your rebate, for a total of $125 cash back!