The American Guide to Cutting Energy Bills

134 pages. 17 chapters. Instant download.

Where the money in your energy bill actually goes, which repairs pay for themselves and which never do, and the federal and state programs that cover part of the cost — with the phone numbers to call.

Written for people who want the money back without becoming an expert. Every figure checked against a government or utility source in 2026.

WHAT'S INSIDE

Introduction: Why This Bill Hits Harder After 50

1. Where Your Money Actually Goes

2. Read Your Bill and Find Your Starting Point

3. The Rule That Changes Everything After 50

4. Twenty Things That Cost Nothing

5. Under $500 — Sealing the House and the Fastest Paybacks You Will Ever Get

6. Insulation — What's Worth It, and What Isn't

7. Windows and Doors — What the Salesman Won't Tell You

8. Heating — Replace Now, Wait, or Run It Till It Dies

9. Water Heating — The Second-Biggest Line on Your Bill

10. Appliances, Laundry and the Things Left Plugged In

11. Your Electricity Bill — Rate Plans, Retail Choice and the Supply Contract Trap

12. Cooling, and the Heat That Kills

13. What You Can Still Get — LIHEAP, Weatherization, USDA 504 and State Programs

14. Solar After the Federal Credit Ended

15. Scams, Door Knockers and Contracts That Attach to Your House

16. If You Fall Behind — What Protects You, and What Doesn't

17. Selling, Downsizing, or Staying Put

Your 90-Day Plan

Appendix A: Your Cost-Per-MMBtu Worksheet

Appendix B: The Contractor Question Sheet

Appendix C: What to Say on the Phone

Appendix D: Where to Find Everything

Appendix E: Plain-English Glossary

Chapter 16 carries the shutoff protections for all fifty states and the District of Columbia — whether your utility can cut you off in winter, and whether that protection is automatic or has to be asked for.

PDF. Opens on any computer, phone or tablet. Yours to keep.