How to save energy around the house

U.S. consumers spend a collective $241 billion on home energy use every year

Solar panels get installed on the south facing side of the roof of this home. Fitting one of the panels into place are Joe Bartolomei, left, and Lee Sterling, of Solartistry Incorporated, of Poway.

U.S. consumers spend a collective $241 billion on home energy use every year — keeping the home comfortable, the lights lit, the food cold, the clothes clean and the gadgets charged, according to Evan Mills, who leads the Home Energy Saver ( http://hes.lbl.gov) project at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The fuel burned to provide this energy pumps 1.2 billion tons of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Mills says improvements in efficiency could cut home energy use by more than half, leading to lower energy bills and a smaller carbon footprint. Click ahead to learn how to save energy at home by making the home more energy-efficient.