Basic insulation and sealing techniques can reduce
your home's heating costs up to 20% according to the Environmental Protection
Agency. With winter just weeks or days away, now's the perfect time
to ensure your home will retain the most energy and heat possible to
get your family through the season toasty and affordably. Here are a few
inexpensive, simple and fun ways:
1. Update or add to your attic
insulation:
Your attic is one of the biggest zones of energy loss,
potentially losing up to 45% without proper insulation, according to the
Department of Energy, which makes it the perfect place to get started.
While it most likely has some form of insulation in place,
it's still a good idea to make sure whatever padding you do have is up to date
with the current recommended insulation levels. Depending on when your house
was built, the levels may have been much lower than those suggested today.
Check today's recommended levels here
To stay further green conscious, newer products are available containing recycled and natural material. Cellulose, for example, an insulator scattered or blown, is the most family friendly composed of recycled paper.
While
over time cellulose does settle, reducing its efficiency compared to fiberglass, it's
known to provide greater insulation than its competitor.
If you do use fiberglass which offers exceptional durability, adding an extra layer across what
you already have will also make a noticeable difference. Just make sure there are no
air pockets between layers or that any of these extra are the kind
with a paper backing on one side (this backing which lists its R value - the
higher R value equals a higher heat retention - is a vapor barrier which could
actually trap water between the layers rather than keep it out).
Make sure
there's a minimum of 12 inches for it to do its job.
Watch a video on cutting and choosing your insulation type by The Home Depot:
2. Reverse your ceiling fan
To locate a room with a leak, with
doors, windows and fans off, hold a stick of lit incense to determine if the
smoke moves with a draft. You can also feel around with a damp hand if you have
a generalized area to search. 
A simple door snake purchased or made at home will block
out a gusty drafts as well as keep the warmth in. Better yet, installing rubber
sliders, using (removable) gel weather strips, vinyl gaskets (nail on) or
rubber/foam tape, will more surely guarantee protection from potential heat
leaks.
Learn how to make your own door snake here
An additional option is a window insulation kit. While applying the film across the glass is said to be mildly tricky by users, it's an inexpensive application ($6-14) which promotes up to 90% heat retention. Have no fear of cold winter windows again!5. Insulate your pipes
If a pipe is warm to the touch, that
heat should be wrapped. Purchasing foam padding, some which are pre-cut, to
wrap around these pipes will help insulate costly heat already generated by
your house for better savings and less wait while standing in the shower. Look
for padding with the highest R-value for the greatest insulation.
A dirty furnace filter will promptly restrict air flow requiring an increased amount of energy to push through. That's extra energy totally wasted. If using a disposable filter it's recommended that you change the filter once a month during the heating season. Switching to a permanent filter however will not only prevent waste, but they clean better too! While a bit more expensive, Electostatic filters trap around 88% of debris with disposable fiberglass filters in comparison are said to trap only 10-40%.
Sources:
http://www.epa.gov/
http://sealyourhome.info/homedepot/housetour_start.aspx
http://www.energysavers.gov/tips/
http://hes.lbl.gov/consumer/
http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/winterize-home-tips-energy-461008#ixzz1ZwzasaZG
http://www.airconditioningrepairkaty.com/home-air-conditioning-energy-audit.html
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/cellulose-insulation.html, http://duckbrand.com/Solutions/weatherization/window-kit-application-tips.aspx,
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/03/energy-conservation/turner-photography, http://www.harrietcarter.com/household-helpers_household-gadgets/dachshund-draft-stopper/
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