Last November, we reported on how utilities across the country are working with Arlington, Virginia-based software company Opower to create bills that compare consumers' monthly usage to that of their neighbors and include energy-saving tips.

Opower got a nice nod on March 5 when President Barack Obama visited the company's headquarters. Stumping for his administration's $6 billion proposal for the Homestar initiative, the president drew a link between Opower's technology and what's been dubbed cash for caulkers.

"If they're getting this good information from Opower and they see that, boy, that drafty window is costing me a couple of hundred bucks a year, they're now going to have an incentive to go to Home Depots or go to Lowe's to hire a certified contractor and make the changes that will ultimately pay for themselves, improve our environment, and improve our economy," said the president, who a few months ago called home insulation "sexy."

—Gian Trotta

Essential information: See our Energy Saving & Green Living guide for more ways to save energy and money at home.