Cooper, the report's author, finds that strong federal energy efficiency policies would substantially lower home energy bills for consumers and would help reduce the cost of climate and energy legislation on American families.

The report, which documents the success of state energy efficiency programs, shows that failure to incorporate additional efficiency measures into pending climate and energy legislation would leave up to $500 billion in direct consumer savings on the table.

The CFA report is the first to look strictly at the effects of energy efficiency programs on home energy use and home utility bills since climate legislation began moving in Congress earlier this year.

With a detailed 50-state breakdown of consumer savings, the report finds that federal energy efficiency policies can reduce overall energy use by 20 to 30 percent, which would save families hundreds of dollars on their utility bills and create a cleaner, healthier environment with lower carbon emissions.

"Our research shows we've only begun to tap the energy efficiency potential that can create jobs, conserve energy, and save families hundreds of dollars each year," said Dr. Mark Cooper, Research Director for the Consumer Federation of America. "Given its stellar record of success, it's time for senators to view energy efficiency as a cornerstone of the nation's climate and energy policy."

As Congress considers climate and energy legislation and additional measures to support job creation, the report outlines specific policies that would maximize the cost saving potential of efficiency and create new jobs.

These policies include an energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) that would require utility companies to encourage efficiency programs for customers, strengthened building codes and appliance efficiency improvements, and proper funding for "retrofitting" or improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings. Other efficiency proposals - including "BuildingSTAR, " a program that would provide tax credits for retrofitting commercial and apartment buildings - would help businesses cut costs and allow clean energy businesses to expand, putting more Americans into long-term quality jobs.

David Asplund, CEO, Lime Energy Company said that the findings represent a call to action for Congress to make energy efficiency the cornerstone of any climate, energy and jobs plan under consideration.

"Energy efficiency offers cost savings to homeowners and businesses, it reduces consumption of fossil fuels, and provides a new and very large opportunity for our idle workforce," said David Asplund, CEO of Lime Energy Company.

"We look to our nation's leaders to provide the policies and funding that will grow energy efficiency into its fantastic potential. An example of good policy is a National Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS), now in place in several states. In response to the EERS in New York state, for example, Lime Energy is very active in energy efficient building retrofits for small businesses. These programs alone have created hundreds of jobs, just in the small building sector. The entire portfolio of programs will create tens of thousands of jobs. Lime Energy has hired 30 people because of these programs in the last six months, and we continue to fill positions. We're literally putting out-of-work Americans back to work every day."

"Today, one in five construction workers - over 1.7 million people - are out of work. America's buildings are wasting both energy and money. As the Senate considers a jobs agenda for 2010, it should incorporate policies that will drive wide-scale building retrofits, such as the Building STAR proposal, that create good local construction jobs and reduce energy costs," said Reid Detchon, Executive Director of the Energy Future Coalition. "Building STAR is a package of rebates and tax incentives for energy efficient retrofits of commercial and multi-family residential buildings designed to create jobs and help small businesses nationwide."

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