Low-Cost Fixes to Make
To Make Your Home More Green

With oil prices now well beyond $100 a barrel, many readers have been asking how to have a greener, more energy-efficient home.

One answer, promoted by "green" builders, is to buy a new eco-friendly abode with everything from solar shingles to geothermal heating systems to super-insulated windows -- or to upgrade existing homes with these items.

But that solution is simply out of reach for many homeowners. As I wrote in a recent story, "Consumers Spend Green to Go Green at Home," just about everything that's touted as "green" these days is significantly more expensive than its traditional counterpart. And though many green items do cut energy bills and save money over time, the initial cost for some of these systems -- especially photovoltaics/solar systems -- is so high that payback can take many years. Since owners typically move every seven years, that means they may not get all of the money spent on the upgrade back, unless they take advantage of government- or utility-sponsored incentives and rebates.

In the opposite camp are those like the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who argue that the "greenest" thing people can do is not to move  into newer, bigger homes -- which by definition require more energy and resources to build -- but rather to make do with the houses they already have.

But that argument, too, has flaws, since most Americans live in three-decade-old or older tract homes that are no better built than subdivision homes are today. Homeowners may be dealing with aging appliances, leaky windows and drafty doors -- if they haven't replaced these items already.

For most people, a middle approach is needed. In other words, don't go out of your way to buy a new home, or replace something in your current residence, if what you have is already functioning well -- no matter how much of a guilt-trip the green-building industry lays on you. But if your fridge dies, or your water heater needs replacing, consider paying a premium to get the most energy-efficient replacement available, even if you know you'll move before you recoup the cost. Consider it a gift to future generations.

Here are five other low-cost ways to save energy:

-- June Fletcher is a staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal and the author of "House Poor" (Harper Collins, 2005). Email your questions about the residential real-estate market. Please include your name, city and state. If you don't want your name used in our column, please indicate that. Due to volume of mail received, we regret that we cannot answer every question.

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