10 most costly appliances
The average U.S. household will spend about $2,160 this year on home energy, which is $60 less than in 2009, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.
While the drop is good news, $2,160 is still a lot of money to spend on gas and electricity, and it can be cut by up to 30% by using efficient Energy Star products built to save energy, according to Ronnie Kweller, director of media relations at the Alliance to Save Energy. Since major appliances use the most energy in a home, they're the best place to look to save money.
Start with how you heat and cool your home. Almost half, 47%, of the $2,200 it took to power a typical American home in 2009 is from heating and cooling. According to a 2009 study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, here's how the average annual utility bill is broken down by appliance, along with some tips I've collected on how to lower costs:
