The old plastic and tape approach isn’t the only way to bring down energy costs. Over the last few years government agencies have been providing incentives to consumers willing to do energy upgrades on their homes. Tax credits and rebates were available to homeowners for a whole host of energy savers – insulation, appliances, windows, heating and cooling systems.

To talk about whether this push resulted in energy savings – and more pennies in people’s piggy banks -“Eight Forty-Eight” spoke to its business guru, David Greising. Greising is a reporter for the Chicago News Cooperative and he regularly joins “Eight Forty-Eight” for chats about money matters.

Music Button: The Books, “Tokyo”, from the CD Lemon of Pink, (Tomlab)