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Originally Posted by xepherys
1. Will has it more or less right. Insulation is key in older houses. You might want to check the insulation anyway to make sure there is no asbestos. Kill two birds with one stone, right? Anyways, insulation, roofing, windows (double-pain, gas-filled), doors (large spaces along sides, top, bottom). How old is your furnace? Is it gas or electrically powered? Appliances? Are they energy-star compliant? If you have the real estate available to put up solar, it never hurts. It's not cheap to get into though. When TotalMILF and I get a house, one of my first big projects will be supplementing our home with solar (and maybe even a small wind turbine depending on our location).
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Re: Insulation: the house has practically NO eaves/attic space in the upstairs; where there is space, we have had insulation blown in. The house is pretty air-tight, according to the guy who did our insulation. The windows are mostly original to the house (mostly painted shut), and mostly single-pane except, functionally, where we have left storm windows on. Nonetheless, 2600 sf is 2600 sf, and the upstairs in particular is a bear to cool in the summer. It's like a sunroom up there, with no shade and pretty much constant sun on all surfaces. It would actually be the perfect roof for solar panels.
We have electric A/C (2 heat pumps - 1 for upstairs and one for down). I don't know how old our furnace is; it's a natural gas furnace. The appliances are probably not the best. We're about to replace the gas stove with a new gas stove; the fridge still works, as do the washer, dryer, and dishwasher. Seems less wasteful to continue using less-efficient but functional machines than to throw away perfectly good ones and replace them, but my logic could be flawed. Is discarding the fridge, to rot in a landfill or be used in someone else's house a worth the energy saved by buying a new, energy-efficient one? (Discounting for the moment the fact that we can't afford all new appliances right this minute.)
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2. Again, will has it exactly right. My mother-in-law has an early Prius, and it works great. The newer models are even better. I know you said a hybrid is out of the question, but have you looked at all hybrid options? Even Petro-CNG?
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Tell me more about Petro-CNG?