Here are a few steps you can take to make your home more energy-efficient, thereby helping to reduce both your heating and cooling bills.

Doors and windows

• Check for leaks and drafts and add weather stripping as needed.
• Install curtains on windows.

Furnaces and water heaters

• Tune up existing furnaces.
• Clean filters on forced-air furnaces.
• Wrap the hot water heater in an insulating jacket.
• If buying a new furnace, do not get one larger than you need.
• Replace inefficient furnaces and water heaters with new high-efficiency models.

Insulation

• Insulate older un-insulated homes.
• If your home already has some insulation, consider increasing the amount of insulation in the attic and/or floors over a basement or crawlspace.

Miscellaneous

• Conduct an "energy audit" of your home to evaluate your heating system's efficiency and determine where heat loss may be occurring.
• You can also perform your own home energy audit on the Internet, and find other useful tips, by visiting the Department of Energy’s Savers Tips web site and following the instructions found there.
• Install low-flow showerheads.
• Install a thermostat that will automatically lower temperatures when rooms are unoccupied.
• Use ceiling fans to circulate air in the house, keeping the air mixed.
  Seal flues in unused fireplaces.