If you'd like to take measures to improve your home's energy efficiency, but you're not yet ready to hire a professional, following are a few steps that you can take yourself to perform an informal energy audit.

Materials:

• Large window fan
• Incense sticks

Steps:

1. Make a list of areas in your home that have potential for drafts.
2. Close all exterior doors, windows and fireplace flues.
3. Turn off all combustion appliances such as gas-burning furnaces and water heaters. (Remember to turn them back on when you're finished with the audit.)
4. Turn on all exhaust fans (usually located in the kitchen and bathrooms). If you don't have exhaust fans, use a large window fan to blow air out of the house. The circulation of the fans increases infiltration through cracks and leaks in the building structure -- making them easier to detect.
5. Just like the professionals, you can use lighted incense sticks to locate the source of leaks. Air drafts will cause the plume of smoke to waver or flow in the direction of air leakage. Tip: As an alternative to using incense smoke, you can use your dampened hand. Drafts of air can be detected as they feel cool on your damp skin.
6. Check for air movement around wall switches and outlets -- often overlooked as sources of air penetration.
7. Check storm windows to ensure they fit properly and are not broken.
8. Inspect all windows and doors to ensure that they sit snug in their frames. See if you can rattle them while they are closed. Movement indicates possible gaps that can be the source of air leaks. Look for daylight that's visible through cracks around window and door frames.

Once you've located any problem areas, you'll need to take steps to fix them, or they'll continue to cost you money via your monthly utilities.