Final answer:
The most effective actions to address maintenance concerns and energy efficiency include installing window insulation kits, an ENERGY STAR qualified water heater, and low-flow toilets. These measures help reduce the energy and water usage in the home.
Step-by-step explanation:
To address a client's current maintenance concerns related to energy efficiency in the home, it is essential to focus on methods that either reduce the energy demand for heating and cooling or improve the efficiency of energy use. Among the options provided, the most effective actions could include: installing window insulation kits to reduce heat loss during colder months, thus lowering heating costs; installing an ENERGY STAR qualified water heater, which would be more energy-efficient than a standard model and save energy over time; and installing low-flow toilets, which conserve water and reduce the energy required to heat it.
Planting shrubs and trees can provide shade and reduce cooling energy demand in the summer, but it does not directly address maintenance concerns in the same way as improving the efficiency of the building's envelope and fixtures does. Therefore, the actions listed from A to C are most likely to yield immediate improvements in energy efficiency for the client. These actions support energy conservation efforts and align with recommendations highlighted, such as those from the US Environmental Protection Agency, which suggest the importance of reducing energy demand through effective home insulation and high-efficiency appliances.