Appliances

By Sean Smyth for Boston.com

HIT: Replacing an older electric heater with an Energy Star-qualified heat-pump water heater ($1,000 to $1,600 for a 50-gallon model) will save the average family $290 a year, Kiplinger’s said. That means you’ll get your investment back very quickly.

MISS: Replacing a refrigerator built from 2001 onward won’t save a lot of cash, Kiplinger’s said, but getting rid of your ’80s-era model could save $100 or more each year.