The typical American family pays around $2,000 a year for their home’s energy bill. With simple upgrades and changes, a family may save around 20 – 30 percent on these bills. With energy cost always seeming to rise and never go back down, having an energy efficient home can save you money as well as saving the planet. Learn more about how to improve your energy efficiency at home with these 5 great tips. 1. Use a Programmable Thermostat for an Energy Efficient Home You can save money and energy with a programmable thermostat because your home will never be too warm or too cold. You can set your thermostat to raise the temp in your home 8-10 degrees when you are not home in the summer. Taking your temperature down by 10 degrees in the winter when you are at work could save you about 10 percent a year. 2. Replace Incandescent Bulbs Try switching your incandescent lightbulbs to light-emitting diode (LED) or compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for more efficient, longer lasting lig...