Drafts & Sealing
Thermal Camera vs. Infrared Thermometer
Start with incense or a $20 IR thermometer. Get a thermal camera only if you need the whole wall.
61 guides
Guides
Grouped by topic. Each one starts with a quick way to check your own home before you spend anything.
Drafts & Sealing
Find the leaks you can feel, then close them cheaply.
Drafts & Sealing
Cellular (Honeycomb) Shades for Winter
How much heat cellular shades hold in at night, and how to pick ones that fit.
Drafts & Sealing
Sliding Glass Door Draft Sealing for Winter
Weatherstrip, shrink film or a heavy curtain for the patio door that lets winter in.
Drafts & Sealing
Window AC Winter Covers
If the window unit stays in all winter, cover it inside and out to stop the draft.
Drafts & Sealing
How to Stop Cold Air From a Fireplace (Draft Stoppers)
Cold air from an unused fireplace is usually a leaky damper. Here is how to plug it safely.
Drafts & Sealing
Garage Door Weather Seals & Bottom Seals for Drafty US Garages
Bottom seals and perimeter strips for attached garages that leak cold into the house.
Drafts & Sealing
Seal Air Leaks with Caulk, Foam & Outlet Gaskets (Before Heating Season)
Caulk, spray foam and foam outlet gaskets for the small leaks that add up.
Drafts & Sealing
Thermal & Blackout Curtains for Energy Savings
Lined curtains help most over cold glass you still want to open during the day.
Drafts & Sealing
Window Insulation Kits for Winter
Indoor shrink film adds a still-air layer to drafty single-pane windows for a few dollars.
Drafts & Sealing
Best Weatherstripping and Door Draft Stoppers for Leaky US Homes
Door sweeps, foam tape and V-strip matched to the gap you actually have.
Heating & Cooling
Thermostats, heat pumps, space heaters and the math behind them.
Heating & Cooling
Garage Heater Cost to Run
What an hour of garage heat costs with electric, propane or a heat pump, and the door fixes to do first.
Heating & Cooling
Electric Fireplace Cost to Run
Heat mode runs about 26¢ an hour. The flame effect alone costs almost nothing.
Heating & Cooling
Thermostat Setback Savings Math
What one degree, a night setback or an away schedule saves, and how to test it in your home.
Heating & Cooling
Heated Throw or Electric Blanket vs. Turning Up the Heat
A heated throw costs pennies an hour, but it only saves money if the thermostat goes down.
Heating & Cooling
Heat Pump Aux Heat Raising Your Bill? Thermostat Settings That Fix It (and When to Upgrade)
Backup heat strips are expensive. These thermostat settings keep them from kicking in early.
Heating & Cooling
Plug-In Thermostats for Space Heaters
Space heater dials overshoot. A plug-in thermostat holds the temperature you actually set.
Heating & Cooling
Space Heater Cost to Run
Every electric heater turns watts into heat the same way. Your bill is watts × hours × rate.
Heating & Cooling
Under-Desk Heaters & Heated Foot Warmers
Warm your feet at the desk and turn the house down while you work.
Heating & Cooling
DIY HVAC Duct Sealing
Seal the duct joints you can reach with mastic and real foil tape, never cloth duct tape.
Heating & Cooling
Radiator Heat Reflectors
A reflective panel behind a radiator sends heat into the room instead of the outside wall.
Heating & Cooling
Register Booster Fans for Cold Rooms
A booster fan moves more warm air to a cold room. It cannot create heat that is not there.
Heating & Cooling
Electric Baseboard Heater Thermostats
Baseboard heaters need line-voltage thermostats. Match the voltage, poles and amps.
Heating & Cooling
Furnace Humidifier Water Panels
Replace the right water panel and dry winter air feels warmer at the same setting.
Heating & Cooling
Heated Mattress Pads for Zone Heating (Sleep Warm, Lower the Thermostat)
Warm the bed instead of the house and drop the overnight thermostat.
Heating & Cooling
Oil-Filled Space Heaters for Zone Heating
Heat the room you use with an oil-filled radiator and turn the rest of the house down.
Heating & Cooling
HVAC Air Filters for Lower Electric Bills
Which MERV rating your system can handle, and when a thick filter hurts airflow.
Heating & Cooling
Smart Thermostat Install Cost vs DIY (C-Wire, Labor & When to Hire)
What a pro charges, what a C-wire is and when installing it yourself is fine.
Heating & Cooling
Window AC Smart Controllers & Ceiling Fan + Thermostat Savings Guide
Put a schedule on a window AC and pair it with a ceiling fan to run it less.
Heating & Cooling
Best Smart Thermostats for Lowering Heating Bills (2026 Buyer’s Guide)
Nest, ecobee and Honeywell compared on the features that actually change your heating schedule.
Insulation
Attics, rim joists, crawl spaces and the gaps between them.
Insulation
Roof Heat Cable Cost to Run (and What Actually Stops Ice Dams)
A 100-foot cable costs about $2 a day to run. When it is worth it, and the attic fixes that stop ice dams for good.
Insulation
Rim Joist Insulation
Cut foam board to fit each bay along the basement rim and seal the edges with spray foam.
Insulation
Crawl Space Vent Covers for Winter
Foam plugs, damper vents and the vents you should never block.
Insulation
Recessed Light Covers for Attic Air Sealing
Fire-rated covers for recessed lights that leak into the attic, and which cans to leave alone.
Insulation
Whole-House Fan Winter Covers
Whole-house fan shutters leak all winter. Cover them from below or box them from the attic.
Insulation
Attic Stair & Hatch Insulation Covers
An uninsulated attic hatch is often the largest hole in an otherwise insulated ceiling.
Insulation
Best Attic Insulation Approaches for US Homes (and When to Call a Pro)
Blown-in, batts or air sealing first, and the attic jobs worth handing to a pro.
Water Heating
Showerheads, pipe wrap, timers and heat pump water heaters.
Water Heating
Hot Tub Cost to Run in Winter (and the Cover Fixes That Cut It)
A tired cover is the usual reason a winter hot tub bill jumps. Here is how to check it and what to fix first.
Water Heating
Outdoor Faucet Covers for Freeze Protection
Drain the spigot first, then pick a foam cup, hard shell or sock before the first freeze.
Water Heating
Pipe Freeze Protection
Insulate exposed lines first and add heat tape only where pipes still freeze.
Water Heating
Electric Water Heater Timers
When a timer on an electric tank helps, and when your schedule makes it pointless.
Water Heating
Low-Flow Showerheads & Faucet Aerators
Less hot water per shower means less work for the water heater, with no new tank.
Water Heating
Insulate Hot Water Pipes (and When a Tank Jacket Helps)
Foam sleeves on the first few feet of pipe, and when an old tank still needs a jacket.
Water Heating
Heat Pump Water Heater vs Standard
A heat pump water heater costs more up front. Here is how to tell if it pays back in your home.
Appliances & Electricity
Measure what each plug really costs before replacing anything.
Appliances & Electricity
Engine Block Heater Cost to Run, and Why It Belongs on a Timer
Two hours of plugging in warms most engines. A timer cuts a winter of block heater power by about 80 percent.
Appliances & Electricity
Heated Pet Beds and Water Bowls
A heated pet bed runs on 4 to 60 watts. Here is what beds, bowls and bird baths cost per month.
Appliances & Electricity
Humidifier Cost to Run
Cool-mist models look cheap to run, but part of their cost shows up on the furnace bill.
Appliances & Electricity
TV, Gaming Console & PC Cost to Run
Three example households show where standby power hides behind the TV and under the desk.
Appliances & Electricity
Holiday Lights Cost to Run
Four example displays, from about $1 to $90 a season, plus timers and outdoor safety.
Appliances & Electricity
Dehumidifier Cost to Run
Check your basement humidity and fix the moisture source before buying a bigger unit.
Appliances & Electricity
Kill A Watt & Plug-In Energy Meters
A $25 plug-in meter tells you what an appliance really costs before you replace it.
Appliances & Electricity
Best Smart Plugs to Kill Vampire Power (Measure First)
Find which devices draw power while off, then decide if a smart plug is worth it.
Appliances & Electricity
Do LED Bulbs Actually Save Money? A Wattage Swap Guide
Which bulbs to swap first, what wattage to buy and how fast LEDs pay off.
Appliances & Electricity
Emporia Vue vs Sense
Two whole-home energy monitors compared: install, accuracy and what you learn from each.
Appliances & Electricity
How to Lower Your Electric Bill This Month
The free and cheap steps worth doing this month, in the order we would do them.
Kitchen
What it costs to boil, bake, slow-cook and keep food cold.
Kitchen
Electric Kettle vs. Stove vs. Microwave
A liter costs about 2¢ in a kettle. Overfilling and reboiling cost more than which device you use.
Kitchen
Slow Cooker vs. Instant Pot vs. Oven
What a pot of chili or a roast costs to cook each way, with food-safety notes.
Kitchen
Refrigerator & Freezer Cost to Run
Measure your fridge, set the right temperatures and test the door seal. Coil cleaning matters less than you think.
Kitchen
Air Fryer & Toaster Oven vs. Full Oven
A small oven uses less power per meal, but it takes years of cooking to pay for itself.
Laundry
Cold washes, drying racks and keeping the dryer vent clear.
Laundry
Washer and Dryer Cost Per Load
Hot water and the dryer make up most of what a load costs. Here is the per-load math.
Laundry
Indoor Clothes Drying Racks
Figure out what a dryer load costs, then air-dry without making the house damp.
Laundry
Dryer Vent Cleaning Kits
A clogged vent stretches every dry cycle and raises fire risk. Here is how to clear it.