Lower Your Energy Bills: 9 Efficiency Tips for New York Homeowners

Hello, Hudson Valley. Levan Tsiklauri here, your local real estate advisor and author of the "Navigating Realty with LT" blog. We’ve all been there. You open that Central Hudson or NYSEG bill after a bone-chilling January or a sweltering July, and you feel that familiar pang of dread. As energy costs continue to climb, it’s easy to feel like you’re just a passenger on a ride you can’t control.

But I’m here to tell you that you have far more power over your monthly utility costs than you think. Taking control of your home’s energy use isn’t about making huge sacrifices; it’s about making smart, strategic choices. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, of the $2,000 the average American family spends on energy each year, a staggering $200 to $400 of that could be going to waste from drafts, air leaks, and outdated systems. That’s money you could be saving or investing back into your home and family.  

In this definitive guide, I’m going to share 9 practical, powerful tips to help you reclaim that wasted money. We'll cover everything from no-cost habit changes you can implement this weekend to smart, long-term investments that boost your home’s comfort and value. And most importantly, we’ll uncover the New York homeowner’s secret weapon—a state-run program that can give you a professional, data-driven plan to cut your energy bills, often for free. Let's get started.

No-Cost & Low-Cost Wins You Can Do This Weekend

The journey to energy efficiency doesn’t have to start with a big check. It starts with small, intentional actions that build momentum and deliver immediate savings. This section is all about the low-hanging fruit—simple adjustments you can make in a single weekend to start lowering your bills right away.

1. Master Your Thermostat for Effortless Savings

Your thermostat is the command center for a huge portion of your energy bill—typically, heating and cooling account for over 40% of a home's utility costs. Simply being more strategic with its settings can lead to substantial savings. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F from its normal setting for 8 hours a day.  

For our four-season New York climate, this means a simple seasonal strategy:

·         In Winter: Aim for 68°F when you're home and awake. When you're asleep or out of the house, lower it. You'll be comfortable under the blankets and won't be paying to heat an empty house.

·         In Summer: Do the reverse. Set the thermostat to 78°F or as warm as you can comfortably stand when you are home. When you head out, let the temperature rise a few degrees to save on air conditioning costs.  

To make this effortless, consider a low-cost upgrade to a smart or programmable thermostat. These devices can learn your schedule and automatically make these adjustments for you, ensuring you’re never wasting energy. It's a small investment that delivers consistent, automated savings.  

2. Become a Draft Detective (Seal Air Leaks)

This is arguably the single most important and cost-effective action you can take. Those invisible drafts you feel near a window on a cold day are tangible proof of your money escaping. These Air Leaks are the number one source of energy loss in most homes, and properly sealing them can reduce your annual energy costs by 5% to 30%.  

Think of it this way: running your furnace in a leaky house is like trying to heat the entire Hudson Valley. By sealing the envelope of your home, you make every other efficiency measure more effective. Here’s how to play detective:

·         Find the Leaks: Start with a visual inspection of common culprit areas: around window and door frames, electrical outlets and switch plates, baseboards, attic hatches, and any place where pipes, vents, or wiring penetrate your walls. On a cool, windy day, you can perform a simple smoke test: turn off all fans, close all windows, and light an incense stick. Hold it near potential leak spots; if the smoke wavers or is blown into or sucked out of the room, you’ve found a draft.  

·         Seal the Leaks: Your primary tools are simple and inexpensive. Use caulk to seal cracks and gaps in stationary components like window and door trim. Use weatherstripping to seal the moving parts of your home, like the sash of a window or the door itself. For another quick win, install inexpensive foam gaskets behind the faceplates of your electrical outlets and light switches on exterior walls.  

This simple weekend project lays the foundation for all other energy savings. It's the first step toward the professional-grade sealing that a Home Energy Audit will later recommend.

3. Use Your Curtains Strategically with the Seasons

Your windows are a major source of heat transfer—they let precious heat out in the winter and unwanted heat in during the summer. Your curtains and drapes can act as a powerful, adjustable layer of insulation to manage this transfer.  

·         Winter Strategy (Passive Solar Heating): New York winters may be cold, but the sun is a free source of heat. On sunny days, open the curtains on your south-facing windows to let the sun's radiant energy warm your home naturally. As soon as dusk falls, close all your curtains to trap that warmth inside and create an insulating barrier against the cold night air.  

·         Summer Strategy (Blocking Solar Gain): In the summer, your goal is the opposite. Close your curtains during the hottest parts of the day, especially on windows that receive direct sunlight. This blocks the sun's intense heat from entering your home, reducing the workload on your air conditioner. Light-colored or thermal-backed curtains are particularly effective at reflecting this heat away.  

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, strategically managed window coverings can reduce heat loss through windows by up to 60% in the winter and cut unwanted solar heat gain by up to 33% in the summer.  

4. Lower Your Water Heater Temperature

What’s the second or third biggest energy user in your home? For most families, it’s the water heater, accounting for around 12% of a typical utility bill. Many manufacturers ship water heaters with the thermostat set to a default of 140°F, which is not only unnecessarily high and a potential scalding hazard but also incredibly inefficient.  

The simple, five-minute fix is to set the temperature down to 120°F (49°C). This temperature is perfectly adequate for all household needs, from washing dishes to showering. The savings come from reducing "standby heat loss"—the energy your tank constantly uses to keep the water at that excessively high temperature. This is a true "set it and forget it" adjustment that provides continuous savings without any change to your lifestyle.  

5. Change Your HVAC Filters Regularly

Think of your HVAC system's filter as its lungs. When the filter becomes clogged with dust, pet dander, and other particles, the system has to work much harder to pull air through it. It’s like trying to breathe through a thick cloth—it requires a lot more effort.

That extra effort translates directly into higher energy consumption. A dirty filter restricts airflow, forcing the fan motor to run longer and harder, which not only drives up your electric bill but also causes premature wear and tear on the system, potentially leading to expensive repairs down the road. The solution is simple and cheap: inspect your filter every month and replace it at least once every three months, or according to the manufacturer's recommendation. This small maintenance task is one of the easiest ways to keep your system running efficiently and extend its lifespan.  

Smart Investments for Long-Term Savings

Once you've tackled the quick wins, it's time to think like a strategic homeowner. The following upgrades require a larger upfront investment, but they deliver significant long-term savings and dramatically improve your home's comfort, durability, and, importantly, its market value.

6. Add Attic Insulation: Your Home's Thermal Blanket

If you make only one major energy-efficiency upgrade to your Hudson Valley home, this should be it. Heat rises, and in a home with inadequate Attic Insulation, your furnace is essentially working to heat the sky. A poorly insulated attic can be responsible for as much as 25% of a home's total heat loss in the winter.  

The beauty of attic insulation is that it works year-round. In the winter, it acts like a thick wool hat for your house, trapping the warm air you paid to heat inside your living space. In the summer, it acts as a barrier against the scorching heat that builds up in your attic, preventing it from radiating down and forcing your air conditioner to work overtime.  

For New York homeowners, there's another critical benefit: preventing ice dams. Ice dams form when heat escaping from a warm attic melts snow on the roof. This water then runs down to the colder edge of the roof (the eaves) and refreezes, creating a "dam" of ice. This can lead to water backing up under your shingles, causing serious and expensive damage to your roof, ceilings, and walls. Proper attic insulation keeps the roof surface cold, preventing the snow from melting in the first place and protecting your home from this common winter menace. Furthermore, a well-insulated home often requires a smaller, less expensive heating and cooling system. Insulating first can mean significant savings on a future HVAC replacement—a crucial connection that can save you thousands.  

7. Upgrade to ENERGY STAR Appliances When It's Time to Replace

The best time to upgrade an appliance is when your old one is on its last legs. Instead of making a panicked decision, plan ahead. When it's time to replace a refrigerator, washer, or dishwasher, make it a non-negotiable rule to choose a model with the ENERGY STAR label.

ENERGY STAR is the U.S. government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing a trusted, third-party certification that a product meets strict efficiency guidelines. The savings are substantial. According to the EPA, a typical household can save about  

$450 on energy bills each year by choosing ENERGY STAR certified products. Consider these specifics:  

·         An ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer uses about 20% less energy and 30% less water than a standard model.  

·         A new certified refrigerator is about 9% more efficient than a non-certified one—a significant saving for an appliance that runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  

This approach requires a shift in mindset. The sticker price of an appliance is only the beginning of its true cost. The total cost of ownership includes the energy it will consume over its entire lifespan. Choosing an ENERGY STAR model significantly lowers that total cost, paying you back year after year.

8. Replace Old, Single-Pane Windows

Let's be upfront: replacing your home's windows is a major financial investment. For an average home in the New York area, a full replacement project can range from $10,000 to $25,000 or even more. So, is it worth it?  

From a pure energy-saving perspective, the payback period can be long. Old, single-pane windows are essentially thermal holes in your walls, responsible for 25-30% of a home's heating and cooling energy use. Upgrading to modern double- or even triple-pane windows will certainly lower your energy bills.  

However, the real value proposition comes when you look beyond the energy savings. This is where my real estate expertise comes into play. New windows offer a powerful trifecta of benefits:

·         Enhanced Comfort: They virtually eliminate drafts and the cold spots you feel near windows in the winter, making your entire living space more usable and comfortable.

·         Noise Reduction: They provide a significant acoustic barrier, making your home a quieter, more peaceful retreat from the outside world.

·         Increased Home Value: This is the key. While you may not recoup the entire cost in energy savings alone, new windows offer an excellent return on investment at resale. They dramatically boost curb appeal and are a powerful signal to potential buyers that a home has been well-maintained and updated. Studies have shown that homeowners can recover a significant portion of the project's cost—up to 90% for vinyl windows—in the final sale price. This reframes the decision from a simple utility-bill calculation to a smart, long-term investment in your property's overall value.  

The New York Homeowner's Secret Weapon

The tips we’ve covered so far are effective anywhere. But now, we get to the single most powerful tool available specifically to us here in New York. This is the step that separates savvy homeowners from those who are just guessing.

9. Get a Professional Home Energy Audit (For Free!)

If you take only one piece of advice from this entire guide, let it be this: schedule a professional Home Energy Audit. While the other tips are based on sound building science principles, an audit provides a customized, data-driven roadmap tailored to the unique strengths and weaknesses of your specific home.

A Home Energy Audit is a comprehensive, top-to-bottom assessment of your home’s energy performance conducted by a certified building analyst. They use sophisticated diagnostic tools, including:  

·         A Blower-Door Test, where a powerful fan is mounted in an exterior doorway to depressurize your home. This allows the auditor to scientifically measure your home's overall leakiness and use tools like smoke pencils to pinpoint the exact location of hidden drafts you’d never find on your own.  

·         Infrared Cameras, which allow the auditor to "see" temperature differences in your walls and ceilings, revealing exactly where insulation is missing or has settled over time.

This sounds expensive, right? Here’s the game-changer for New Yorkers. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is a state agency whose mission is to help New Yorkers save energy and money. Through their programs, this invaluable service is made accessible to everyone.  

·         For ALL Homeowners: Through the Residential Energy Assessment Program, any New York resident who owns a one-to-four family home is eligible to receive a no-cost home energy assessment from a NYSERDA-approved contractor. There are no income qualifications for this initial audit. It is a free service provided by the state to help you understand your home's performance.  

·         For Income-Eligible Homeowners: If your household meets certain income guidelines, the EmPower+ Program goes even further. It provides the same no-cost assessment plus significant financial assistance—up to $10,000 in no-cost improvements for low-income households—to help pay for the recommended upgrades like insulation and air sealing.  

The audit transforms you from a homeowner making educated guesses into a strategist armed with data. It provides an objective, prioritized list of upgrades that will deliver the biggest bang for your buck, ensuring your home improvement dollars are spent wisely.

Your first step is to visit the official NYSERDA Residential Energy Assessment Program website to find a certified contractor in your area and schedule your no-cost audit.

Creating Your Energy Savings Plan: A Strategic Blueprint

Feeling motivated but not sure where to start? Don't let "analysis paralysis" stop you. Here is a simple, strategic framework to turn this information into action.

The Weekend Wins

Dedicate one upcoming weekend to tackling the low-hanging fruit. This will build momentum and deliver immediate results. Your checklist:

·         Adjust your thermostat settings for your weekly schedule.

·         Go on a draft hunt and use a tube of caulk and some weatherstripping to seal the most obvious leaks around your doors and windows.

·         Check and, if necessary, replace your HVAC filter.

·         Walk down to your water heater and lower the temperature to 120°F.

·         Start practicing your new seasonal curtain strategy.

The Long-Term Budget

Think like a CFO for your home. You don't need to do everything at once. Plan to tackle one larger project every few years. For example, Year 1 might be adding attic insulation. In Year 4, when your old dishwasher finally gives out, you'll be ready to replace it with a high-efficiency ENERGY STAR model. This approach makes major investments feel manageable and sustainable.

The Pro Move

The single smartest action you can take right now is to schedule your free NYSERDA Home Energy Audit. The professional report you receive will become the foundation for your long-term budget, telling you exactly where your priorities should lie and ensuring every dollar you invest in your home works as hard as possible.

Conclusion: A More Comfortable, Valuable Home Awaits

Lowering your energy bills is an entirely achievable goal. It's a journey that begins with small, smart habits and progresses toward strategic, value-adding upgrades. By being proactive and leveraging the incredible resources available to us as New York residents, you can significantly reduce your monthly costs. But the benefits extend far beyond your wallet. You'll create a home that is more comfortable in every season, healthier for your family, and ultimately, more valuable in the marketplace.

An energy-efficient home isn't just cheaper to run—it's also more attractive to future buyers. Many of the smart investments we've discussed, from new windows to proper insulation, are features that I highlight to command a higher price when my clients sell their homes.

If you're curious about how specific energy-efficient upgrades can impact your home's current market value in the Hudson Valley, let's talk. Click below to schedule a Free Home Value Consultation where we can discuss your home's unique features and create a plan to maximize its worth.

Levan Tsiklauri (LT) | Realtor® 

(917) 905-7923 | Levan@realtylt.com

www.realtylt.com | [ Book a Consultation▸]

1097 Route 55, Suite 9, Lagrangeville, NY 12540