Save Energy & Money NOW!

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Not a pretty picture. Bright areas in this thermal photograph show where the home is losing heat. INFRASPECTION INSTITUTE

First some good news ... According to some energy experts, homeowners probably won't have to shoulder another big increase in their fuel bills this winter. The bad news? Fuel prices aren't expected to drop, either. We are faced with two options: We can continue to pay sky-high energy bills, or do something about it. Now, the really good news: Follow the steps we've outlined here and you can easily reduce your energy bills by up to 50 percent.

Most of these techniques are inexpensive, and many can be completed in a weekend. Others may only require that you change a habit or two. To learn how you can get the larger projects to pay for themselves, check out "Getting Paid to Save," in the Image Gallery.

Hang on to Your Heat

Considering that heating and cooling costs make up about 44 percent of the average home utility bill, you'll want to make this a conservation priority. Start with some small, simple steps. Caulk. weatherstripping and insulation don't sound as exciting as the latest generation solar or geothermal systems, but according to Michael Lamb, a certified energy manager at the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EERC), "They're the tried and true fixups that work the best."

A few weatherproofing projects like the ones listed here easily can cut 10 to 30 percent off the average home energy bill.

Find and fix drafts. Professional auditors use a device called a smoke pencil to locate leaks, but you can get similar results with an incense stick. On a windy day, hold the lit stick next to your windows, doors, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures and attic hatches - anywhere there's a possible path to the outside. Any change in the smoke column means cold air is entering in or heat is escaping. Find the leaks and caulk them (click here for more on caulking ).

Little holes can really add up. According to Lamb, even if your home is insulated, small gaps and cracks can decrease insulation's overall effectiveness by 30 percent. Keeping inside air inside and outside air outside will help your pocketbook no matter what the season.

To cut down on spaces where cold air can enter your house, seal doors with a draft-defeating nylon door sweep or a "door snake," a long cloth sack filled with dried rice or beans to hold it in place. If you have an attached garage, install a garage-door gasket to stop cold air in its tracks.

Diagnose your ducts. According to Bill Brindle, director of building and utility programs at the Alliance to Save Energy, 20 percent or more of the hot air produced by a furnace never makes it to the homeowner. Ducts lose hot/cold air in two ways: through leaks and through heat transfer in the uninsulated heating or cooling spaces they run through.