In the winter: set your thermostat as low as comfortable and heat your home only during the time you actually need it heated.

When using a furnace, turn back the thermostat during the night or when you're gone for more than four hours.

For heat pumps, it may be better to leave your thermostat alone unless you have a "smart" thermostat.

In the summer: set your thermostat as high as comfortable and turn the air conditioner off if you are gone for more than four hours.

Bonus Tip: A programmable thermostat or a "smart" thermostat can be programmed to adjust the temperatures for you.

The circulation of air will increase the cooling of the body by evaporating moisture on the skin.

Use fans in areas where you spend the most time in your home; fans will keep you cool without having to turn down the thermostat.

At times when the air is cooler outside than inside, such as at night, open windows and use fans to bring the cooler air into your home.

Bonus Tip: In the summer, set a ceiling fan to pull up cool air from below and circulate it through your home.

A clean filter is essential for the efficient operation and long life of a furnace or heat pump.

Make it a habit to clean or replace your filters once each month.

Make sure vents are not blocked by furniture.

You can close vents and doors of rooms not being used; however, do not close more than 1/4 of the total vents in your home.

Bonus Tip: It's a good idea to have your furnace or heat pump annually serviced by a professional to make sure it continually operates efficiently.

Don't let your heated or cooled air leak away before it does its job.

Check your ductwork for leaks or separations.

For separations, secure the connections with mechanical fasteners such as sheet metal screws.

Once separations are fixed, seal them and any small leaks with duct mastic.

Bonus Tip: Ventilation fans pull warm or cool air out of your home. Use ventilation fans sparingly and turn them off when they have done their job.

Leaking conditioned air from your home may account for 20% to 30% of the total heat loss in your home.

Although some ventilation is necessary to maintain good air quality, most homes can substantially reduce air leaks.

Calk and seal where plumbing and electrical wiring go through exterior walls, ceilings and floors.

Install weather-stripping around doors and windows.

Install foam gaskets behind wall switches and outlets.

Bonus Tip: You can test your home's air tightness on a windy day by holding a lit incense stick next to doors, windows, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, and other locations where air may leak to the outside. If the smoke moves sideways, you have located a leak that may need calking, sealing or weather-stripping.

An efficient fireplace or wood stove can be a good source for heating your home.

However, if a damper is left open when the fireplace isn't being used, warm air will rise up and out of the chimney, eliminating the benefit of a fireplace.

Be sure to close the damper when the fireplace or wood stove is not being used.

Bonus Tip: Fireplaces with glass doors are more efficient.

You can increase the comfort of your home while reducing your heating and cooling needs with proper insulation.

Attic insulation should be between 10 and 17 inches, depending on the type of insulation.

If your attic has ample insulation and your home still feels drafty and cold in the winter or too warm in the summer, chances are you need to add insulation to the exterior walls as well.

This is a more expensive measure that usually requires a contractor.

Either the walls or the floor above the crawl space should also be insulated.

Bonus Tip: Make sure your home has adequate attic ventilation. Attic temperatures can reach more than 140 degrees with inadequate ventilation.

Windows can be an asset to heating and cooling your home if used correctly. However, windows can also be a hindrance to efficient heating and cooling if not used correctly.

In the winter: Open the drapes on the south side of your house on sunny days to let the sun heat your rooms and close the drapes at night to keep the heat in the house.

In the summer: Close the drapes during the day to keep the cool air in and open the window at night to allow the cool air to come inside.

Bonus Tip: Outside shade for windows is the most effective way to keep the hot air out and the cool air in during the summer. Also, an air conditioning unit in the shade will use less electricity than if it operates in the sun.

Replace the incandescent light bulbs that are used most often with compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Compact fluorescent bulbs last about seven times longer and use about one-fourth to one-third of the electricity.

Bonus Tip: Turn off all lights in rooms you are not using and use motion detectors or timers for outside lights.

Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home and typically accounts for about 14% of your utility bill.

There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient water heater.

Set both thermostats on your water heater for 120 degrees. Each 10-degree reduction in water temperature generally saves between 3 and 5 percent on water heating costs.

Bonus Tip: A new energy efficient water heater can make a big difference and will not need an insulation blanket.

Don't let gallons of water drip away; a leaky faucet can waste six to ten gallons of water a day.

A hot water tank or faucet leak can cost you more than $100 a month, so fix a leak immediately.

Also, turn off the water when you're not using it.

For example, don't let the hot water run when shaving and don't let the water run while brushing your teeth.

Bonus Tip: Install aerators in faucets and energy efficient showerheads to reduce the amount of hot and cold water used.

A dishwasher uses as much hot water to wash a partial load of dishes as a full load, so make sure the dishwasher is full before starting it.

If possible, set your dishwasher to air dry to save energy.

Wash only full loads of clothes and use the cold or warm/cold option on your washing machine as much as possible.

Switching the temperature from hot to warm can cut the energy use in half.

Bonus Tip: Try to wash clothes on the weekend, preferably on Sunday, because the total electrical usage is lowest during this time.