While some areas of the country are hit harder than others, according to Ace's "Helpful Hardware Man" Low Manfredini, there are five key areas you can focus on to help make your home more energy efficient - and save money on heating costs.

HEATING & COOLING

According to the U. S. Department of Energy, 44 percent of the averagee homeowner's energy usage is tired up in heating and cooling their homes, plus another 14 percent devoted to water heating.

Be sure to install the most energy-eficient heating and cooling appliances.  However, if you aren't ready to replace your existing systems, there are also some simple steps you can take to make the most with what you have:

1. Clean or replace your furance filters at least once a month.
2. Use a programmable thermostate to modulate, the termperature when you're at home or away.
3. Make sure warm air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators are clean and aren't blocked by furniture, rugs or draperies.
4. Keep the shades open during the day on south-facing windows, allowing the sun to naturally heat your home.  Close blinds at night to keep the heat in.

To reduce energy spent on water heating, turn down the termostat on your heater, use less hot water and wrap the appliance in an insulation blanket.   Low-flow showerheads and faucets can also help reduce water consumption, and as a result, the costs associated with heating water.

WINDOWS & DOORS

If you feel a draft through your windows and doors, you know you have a problem.  In fact, the U. S. Department of Energy says leaky windows and doors can account for 10 to 25 percent of your heating bill.  As with your furnance, the best remedy is to invest in energy-efficient double pane windows.  Manfrendini also suggests trying the following tactics to combat heat loss in your windows and doors:

1. Installing storm windows and doors can reduce heat loss by as much as 50 percent.
2. If a draft is entering toward the bottom of a door, it may be the sill.  Consider applying additional insulating material to the bottom sweep or replace the sill to ensure a tighter seal.
3. Install weather stripping to prevent heat loss from gaps in door and window seals.
4. Use a window insulation kit, which can help increase the energy efficiency of your windows by as much as 70 percent.

INSULATION & WEATHERIZATION

Air leaks aren't limited to doors and windows - more than 30 percent of air leaks occur through your floors, walls and ceilings.  Manfredini recommends you wait for a windy day and then hold a lit incense stick next to windows, doors, electrical outlets, attic hatches and other areas where air may leak into your home.  If the smoke is blown horizontally, you have a leak that needs to be sealed.