Small cracks and gaps in your house's shell can allow about a third of the heat and air conditioning in a 10-year-old house to escape, says Peter Scheckel, an analyst at the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, a nonprofit energy-efficiency services company.
In the attic, look for gaps around anything that comes through the floor, such as pipes, fan ducts and electrical lines. Use an expanding-foam spray or paint-able caulk to seal cracks.
Annual savings: Up to 10% on your fuel bills
Up-front cost: About $100 if you do it yourself; $500 or more if you hire out the job.
Tax credit: 10% of the cost of storm windows (credit cannot exceed $200).
Quick Fix: A water heater blanket (about $20) could save you $34 a year for a gas heater; $54 for an electric one. Water heaters made 10 years ago aren't well insulated. If yours dates to 1997 or before, it can lose about 3 degrees Fahrenheit of heat an hour.
 The red areas on this infrared image are where a house loses the most heat.
Seal the envelope
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