It is estimated that sealing holes around doors, windows, pipes and ducts can save as much as 10% on your heating bill.

One of the main ways to do this is to install weather striping or other forms of insulation around doorways to stop cold air from entering the home.

Jamb-up weather striping can be used on wooden, exterior doors. They are mounted on the two sides and top of the door frame so the rubber side just touches the door. You can install a door sweep on the bottom of exterior doors. This should complete the seal around the door. For an extra seal, use self-adhesive weather striping just inside the door jamb where the door and jamb come together.

For metal doors, check the rubber gaskets and replace if necessary.

As a winter reminder, remember to disconnect water hoses so that they don't cause the faucets and pipes to freeze and crack. If there are interior shut off valves, turn them off and drain the remaining water. You can also cover the faucets using a faucet insulation kit.

Insulating pipes in colder areas by applying heat tape or thermostat controlled heat cables around them.

Source: Article by Sam McDonald titled "Weather striping can stop the doorway air leaks"

Why pay for heat when it's available for free? New homes can be designed to take advantage of the sun's energy through a passive solar heating system. The design phase plays the biggest role in getting the most efficient system.

Here's a list of the requirements:

• The home should be properly oriented to the sun
• It should have the proper sized, south facing windows
• It should have the correct size of window overhangs
• There should be reduced heating requirements through insulation and weatherization
• There should be adjustable blinds to control heat gain and loss
• There needs to be a proper design and location of a thermal mass for heat storage

The windows allow the sun to radiate it's energy onto a 5 inch thick concrete slab along the inside wall of the home. With the passive solar heating system, a 3,200 square foot house could save as much as 40% over conventional heating systems. And the monthly heating bill can be 50% cheaper.

You can reduce the amount of heat you need by using 6 inch thick wall framing which can accomodate an extra 2 inches of insulation. Cellular window shades can also help in insulation and they come in both top-down and bottom-up styles to make adjustments easy. A solar hot water panel installed on the roof can provide 100% of the hot water in the summer months and about 60% for the year.

Source: Article by Mark Erickson titled "Sun provides the largest energy draw for house"