The Best Ways To Spend Around $200 on Energy Proofing Your Home in 2025
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Energy costs take a big chunk out of many people’s budgets. The average electricity bill in the U.S. is around $145 per month, according to SaveonEnergy.com, but it ranges widely. In states like Hawaii and Connecticut, the average electricity bill is over $200 per month, and again, we’re only talking averages. Bills can be exorbitantly higher than that, and that doesn’t even include gas.
Energy proofing is a way of limiting the loss of energy in your home through small, often DIY techniques and efforts and can save you significant amounts of money.
Here are three of the best ways to spend $200 or less on energy proofing your home this year.
Weather Stripping
One of the most affordable and often easiest ways to reduce energy loss is through improving or upgrading your home’s weatherstripping around doors and windows. By sealing leaks, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), you can save between 5% and 10% on your annual energy costs.
In fact, the DOE even offers a step-by-step set of DIY instructions online so you don’t have to hire anyone to do it for you, though you may prefer to hire someone just to be sure it’s done correctly.
You can use weatherstripping in your home to seal air leaks around movable joints, such as windows or doors. You may wish to seek a professional’s help on this project, but if you are somewhat handy, these steps can help guide you.
It recommends choosing weatherstripping that is built for temperature changes and other wear and tear associated with opening and closing things.Â
To hire someone else to do this can start at around $90 and up, according to HomeAdvisor. While prices vary on the actual kinds of weather stripping you need, a 10-foot roll of gray rubberized window stripping, for example, is just $4.16 at Home Depot, making it much cheaper to install yourself.
Smart or Programmable Thermostat
It’s easy to forget to turn down the heat or AC when you’re not home, or to leave it on overnight when you don’t really need it, adding unnecessary energy expenditures to your monthly bills. Smart thermostats, or even just programmable ones, can help you set and keep your heating and cooling at affordable temps all throughout the year. A good one could save you around 10% on your heating costs by just helping you scale back your temperatures by 7° to 10°F from your regular setting, according to the U.S. DOE. Though this is most effective in milder climates, it noted. You can get a well-regarded Nest smart thermostat at around $129 (there are versions that are both cheaper and more expensive, depending on your needs).
Tankless Water Heaters
Water heaters are responsible for approximately 18% of a home’s energy usage through heating water. If you don’t have a super high water usage, a tankless water heater could save you significantly on energy costs related to water heating.
If your home uses 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, the tankless heater is approximately 24% to 34% more energy efficient than the traditional water heater that stores water in a tank, according to the U.S. DOE. If your home uses up to 86 gallons per day, it can still be around 8% to 14% more energy efficient.
You can select from a variety of tankless water heaters at places like Ace Hardware and Home Depot for around $200 and up.
Editor’s note: Pricing is accurate as of Jan. 15, 2025. Prices and availability are subject to change.
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