Energy Efficient Home Improvements and What They Cost
Energy efficient home improvements fall into two groups: projects that cut how much power a house uses, and projects that change where the power comes from. Both are priced here by area, by system size or by the work needed around the equipment.
Energy efficient home improvements without a federal credit
Most of these projects used to come with a federal tax credit. The IRS says the residential clean energy credit and the credit for efficiency improvements do not apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2025, and the credit for home EV chargers ends after June 30, 2026. Several price guides still subtract them, so check whether a quote's payback figure assumes a credit you can no longer claim.
Using less: an energy efficient home starts with the envelope
Making your own power
A standby generator does not save energy, but it keeps the house running in an outage. The unit is usually less than half the bill once the transfer switch, gas line, pad and permits are added. See the generator calculator.