The growing trend in the real estate industry right now is to remodel the home rather than to replace it by moving. If you are planning to remodel your home, here are some effective projects that you should consider for recapturing hard earned money by lowering the energy use in your home.

1. Insulation: While insulation will not show on the outside, this involves adding a layer on the inside of your attic. How much insulation do you have already? If it is less than twelve inches, you should consider adding another layer to significantly reduce your energy bills.

2. Replacing old wooden windows with energy-efficient vinyl-style windows can offer a quick payback when it comes to energy cost reduction. If the cost of replacing all of your home's windows at the same time is a bit beyond your monetary means, consider replacing the southern and western facing windows first, so that you can save on cooling costs during the summer. Then during the winter, replace your eastern and northern facing windows in order to reduce your heating expenses.

3. Furnace Filters: This is actually a quick, easy and inexpensive upgrade. Change your furnace filter regularly, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your heating and cooling systems. Not only does this clean up the air in your home, but it also lets your heating and cooling systems run more smoothly, using up less energy in the process.

4. Lighting: Changing your incandescent lighting into fluorescent lighting can provide a serious return on your investment, reducing the electricity usage in you home by as much as fifty percent, just as simply as that. Because energy costs are continuing to rise, this is an absolutely wonderful way to fight back and make your energy bills cheap again.

5. Appliances: Many of today's newer appliances are designed to save a lot of energy compared to older versions. They also add a dramatic new look to your kitchen while simultaneously improving your money saving significantly when it comes to the energy bill.

Implement these five changes, and not only will your electricity bill go down, but your air quality will go up, the beauty of your home will improve, and you will be nice and warm in the winter, and nice and cool when summer comes 'round.