Ten tips to conserve energy in your home

Heating costs in winter continue to increase each year. Natural disasters and the war in Iraq are inflating the prices of home heating expenses for electric, gas and fuel oil heaters. Know that you can take some steps to reduce your bills and put some money back for other expenses, or just to prepare for the next increase in energy costs for your home.

Review these 10 tips and see what you can do to reduce your bills by conserving energy in your home.

Isolate Windows. Go to your house and check your windows. Make sure they are well sealed. A good test is to do a smoke test. Turn off all fans and your furnace, stand near a window and clear smoke. If there is a tiny air leak inside the house to the outside, the smoke will move in the direction of the window. Kits can be purchased at your hardware store or  home improvement   store for isolation.

Buy a ceiling fan. Because the hot air rises, you will want to bring it down by buying a ceiling fan. Reversible switches are available on most models and can also be used in summer. The relative cost of the ceiling fan and its usage costs are quickly offset by savings.

Closed doors. If a room is not used, close the door and leave it closed. This is really helpful if you do not use the room in the long run. Parts used from time to time will have the door vented and cold air will escape into the other rooms. Of course, your furnace will work harder and will also result in heating costs.

Curtains and mini blinds. If a winter day is sunny or there is a minimum of sun, be sure to open them during the day and close them as dusk approaches. The heat of the sun's rays will help warm up the house and keep it running for the night. Reopen them when the sun rises the next morning.

Watertight doors and caulking windows. Draft dogs are not needed around the doors if they have been disassembled. Look around the bottom of the doors, and if air gets inside, protect it from the weather. Also check the windows, as the wear and age of the windows can let cold air in. Caulk and seal the windows. If the inside of the seal is damaged, replace it with the appropriate seal type.

Realign the doors. Doors, just like windows, can over time, with time, begin to sag from their original position. Before winter sets in, watch how your door closes. Adjust them for a good fit.

Check the furnace. Hire a HVAC, heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractor to give your furnace a chance to check for inefficient heating or cooling problems. A malfunctioning system can cost more money, and security issues are also a priority for the owner's peace of mind.

Replace the air filter. You can eliminate unnecessary costly bills by saving energy by simply replacing a dirty air filter. Not only does this slow down the operation of your system, but the danger is that it may enter the engine and cause a fire or simply burn the engine.

Close the vents of the house. Just before the fall season, go around your house and close the air vents that allow air circulation during the summer period. In winter, the goal is to prevent any cold air from entering. Cold air under the floorboards infiltrates the house and increases heating costs.

Check the roof insulation. If it's been a few years since you've checked the insulation of your attic, go up and look around. The insulation must have enough air pockets to trap cold air and push it from the inside of the house. Old rotten insulation is usually fragile and flat. Replace the insulation with a new one and you will see energy savings in your heating costs.