During a bathroom-remodeling project, you constantly search for ways to help improve your home’s energy efficiency and reduce water usage. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers suggests five money-saving changes.

"Home owners can easily transform their bathrooms with these simple energy- and water-efficient upgrades," says NAHB Remodelers Chair Mike Nagel, a remodeler from Chicago. "Whether it's swapping out a shower head or completely gutting the room, it makes a lot of sense to go green when remodeling a bathroom."

1. Go with energy-efficient tankless water heaters as a replacement for traditional water heaters, which have an average life span of 10 to 11 years. Heating water can account for about 15% of a home's energy bill, and an efficient heater can save $40 to $100 in energy costs annually.

2. Switch showerheads. The average life span of a high-efficiency showerhead is the lifetime of home. The new showerhead can save $15 a year on the water bill, and it is easy to install.

3. Replace the toilet with a new water-conserving model, which can last practically forever and can save more than $90 a year in water use.

4. Install energy-efficient exhaust fans that have an average life span of 10 years. You will save electricity using an Energy-Star-rated fan, with a savings of $120 over the product's lifespan.

5. New high-efficiency bathroom faucets, with an average life span of 20 years, may only save about $3 a year, but that puts an additional $60 in the home owner’s pocket over the product's life.
The bottom line is a few dollars here and a few dollars there add up to substantial savings now and big savings over the lifetime of your new bathroom.