One way to save lots of money on heating and cooling your home, is to go green with your windows and doors. Typically, the incentive to upgrade to energy efficient appliances and features is the money saved on heating, cooling and electrical bills. Thanks to the stimulus package, there’s also a tax credit for many eco-friendly upgrades.

The tax credit covers 30 percent of the cost of the materials, up to $1,500.

The new windows and doors have to meet certain criteria to qualify. Not all Energy Star labeled products will qualify. To make sure your windows and doors meet these requirements, look for the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) certification and Manufacturer’s Certification Statement verifying their energy standards.

Not only will you get almost a third of the purchase price of materials back, you will also save a good bit of money on your heating and energy bills. According to Energy Star, a typical home can save up to $400 a year with energy efficient windows.

We recently replaced the 50 plus year old windows in our house with energy-efficient models. One thing we learned when looking for windows was to ask lots of questions. A local retailer in our area had ads promising to install double-hung, tax credit worthy windows for a great price. Although their ad touts the tax credit with no stipulations, the price quoted in the ad covered windows that were not eligible for the tax credit. They still had the best deal for energy efficient windows, it just wasn’t the great deal that the ads promised.

If upgrading to newer windows and doors isn’t in your budget this year, there are still ways you can cut your energy usage and bills. Make sure to caulk or weather strip around your doors and windows to keep out the cold.