•  Set your furnace no higher than 68 degrees during the day and turn it down to 62 degrees or lower at bedtime. In most homes, you can save about 2 percent of your heating bill for each degree that you lower the thermostat. A programmable thermostat, available for as little as $20 at hardware stores, will automatically turn the heat to the desired setting at the right time.

Note:
Get guidance from your doctor if you are elderly or have a health condition. Never turn the heat completely off because you could wake up to frozen pipes. Also, don’t turn your thermostat on high to heat your home in a hurry. It won’t do it any faster and will just waste energy.

•  Set your water heater to the warm setting, 120 degrees. Make sure your water heater has an insulating blanket, a special cover that will pay for itself in one year or less. Readymade kits for insulating water heaters are available at hardware and building-supply stores. Your utility company may provide these at a discounted cost or offer a rebate on your purchase. Be careful not to cover the thermostat when insulating your water heater.

•  Replace your incandescent lights with compact flourescent lights, especially 60 watt to 100 watt bulbs that you use several hours a day. These new lamps can save 75 percent of the electricity used by incandescents. Measure the clearance in the fixtures to make sure they will accommodate compact fluorescents, which are slightly bigger than incandescents.

•  Clean or replace furnace and heat-pump filters monthly or as needed.

•  Caulk leaky windows and seal up the largest air leaks in your house—the ones that whistle on windy days or feel drafty. These leaks often are found at cuts made in walls for piping, gaps around chimneys and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.

•  Close doors for the rooms you do not use and make sure to insulate all openings for airconditioning window units.

•  When baking, avoid frequently opening the oven door. You lose about 25 degrees of heat each time you open it. Also, you can shorten cooking time by keeping the lids on pots and pans.

•  Clean your clothes dryer’s lint screen after every use. A dryer will use as much as 30 percent more energy if it’s dirty.

•  Stop leaky faucets. They can waste up to 350 gallons of hot water per month. Sources: The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network of the U.S. Department of Energy and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.