When your home feels cold, your first reaction may be to just turn up the heat, but that alone may result in higher bills or wasted energy.

Energy efficiency consultant and business owner, Ric Evans, says there are simple things you can do to keep cold air from getting into your home in the first place.  "Caulking windows and doors along with adding weather stripping around doors will make a tremendous difference and it's relatively inexpensive to do.  You can get weather stripping kits for 10 or 20 dollars."  Evans says anything you can use to block drafts, even putting a towel at the bottom of a door to the outside, will contribute to lowering your energy usage.

If you're not sure where to seal, Evans says spiders can often offer clues.  "Spider webs often indicate air flow.  They like to set up shop where they can catch more bugs,"  says Evans.  "If you see a web in the corner of your basement, especially up by the rim and band joist, where the foundation meets the house, there's probably something that needs to be sealed."

In addition to sealing windows, insulating them will help keep your home warmer.  Curtains, blinds, or shrink-wrap type plastics can all reduce the amount of heat escaping through the windows.

For additional energy savings, Evans recommends programmable thermostats.   "Instead of keeping your home at 70 degrees all day long, a programmable thermostat allows you to set times you're going to be home that you want it warm," Evans says.   "You can actually save a considerable amount.  I know people who have saved between 10 and 20 percent on heating costs, just by switching thermostats.  They're relatively inexpensive; anywhere between 25 and 40 dollars.  Most people would also be able to install them themselves."

If you don't have a programmable thermostat, just turning the heat down when you're not home or when you go to bed can be effective. 

"Most people have the thermostat set at 70 degrees," says Evans. "I'd suggest 68. if you're already comfortable at 68, try 67 or 66 and find out what your threshold is. Everyone is different.  Lowering the thermostat, having a programmable thermostat, sealing the doors and windows, and covering the windows are all things that will work together to make your heating system work less.  When it operates less, it costs less to operate."