• Feel for air leaks around windows, doors and electrical outlets. Repair weather-stripping and caulk leaks. (Don't caulk around storm windows because that can hold in moisture and cause damage to the wood frame).
• Seal up cracks in your home's foundation.
• Replace cracked glass.
• Seal off your attic circulating fan with polyethylene and tape.
• Make sure you have at least 6" of good thermal insulation in your ceiling.
• Keep your kitchen vents closed when not in use.
• Keep closet doors closed.
• Remove air conditioning window units or cover them well.
• Use storm windows and doors and make sure they fit tightly.
• If you don't have storm windows, cover the outside glass with polyethylene sheets.
• Common Sense & Life-style Items
  You'll save about 3% on your heating bill for every degree that you set back your thermostat full time. (Turn it back 10 degrees when you go to work and again when you go to bed, and you can save about 14% on your heating bill.) The best way to do this is with a good clock thermostat. Put on a few extra blankets at night and turn down the temperature 10°. In Europe it is not uncommon for folks to turn down their heat to as low as 45° F at night! You may actually feel a lot better in the morning due to the increased humidity at a lower temperature.
• Take advantage of "cheap solar Heat". On the side of your home that is exposed to the sun during the day, keep the windows treatments and drapery open to let as much sun shine in as possible. This is what's referred to as passive solar heat. Conversely, all windows coverings should be closed at night, or when the sun is not shining.
• Heating System Modifications & Maintenance Hot water pipe insulation. Insulating hot water pipes can save an amazing 10-15% on your annual energy usage. To insulate, simply stop at any hardware or home improvement store and purchase insulated pipe wrapping. It can be easily cut to fit, and secured with a combination of duct tape and plastic tie-wraps.
• If your boiler has a tank-less coil, consider Installing An Indirect Water Heater. Indirect hot water heaters save a lot of energy by storing hot water in an encapsulated vessel that stores energy very efficiently. By contrast, a boiler with a tank-less coil runs excessively throughout the year because of potential demand. Most of the heat simply goes right up the chimney. Another added benefit...you will have a near limitless supply of hot water! 
• Install water saving shower heads. The less water you use, the less energy it takes to heat the water. Just makes a lot of sense!

• Don't forget to have an annual tune-up done. During an annual tune-up visit, your system will be cleaned of energy-robbing carbon build-up and optimized with our state of the art digital flue gas analyzer system. Ask your licensed professional heating oil technician for your "Oilheat System Report Card" today!  You can get first-hand advice from a professional about how your heating system can be operated at peak efficiency, reducing your energy costs.
• Install a fireplace heater grate. There are a lot of folks that enjoy the warm cozy crackle of a fireplace during a cold winter night, but the truth of the matter is that most of that heat goes right up the chimney! A fireplace heater grate captures heat from your fireplace and circulates it into the room. Typically these units can capture 30-50,000 BTU's of wasted heat from a fireplace and effectively heat that room or part of your home.
• Warm air furnace and hydro-air system filter changing. This is a big one, and responsible for an enormous amount of wasted fuel. In times of constant heating (or cooling) operation, FILTERS SHOULD BE CHANGED EVERY MONTH! Go to your local hardware or home improvement center and pick-up a years supply of filters. Your full service heating oil dealer can also provide your air filters if you wish. 
• Insulated water heater wrapping. Depending on what type of water heater you have, you may be able to save significant energy by wrapping your water heater with a special water heater insulation blanket. These are available from most home improvement stores and take about an hour to install.
• Heat duct sealing. Look for gaps or cracks in your duct work and seal them with duct tape (yep, that's what it was made for...)
• Clean baseboard fins. Your baseboard should look like the picture here. Air must be able to freely flow through the baseboard from the bottom and out through the top. Make sure the fins are not plugged with dirt, lint or pet hair (you can vacuum them out with a vacuum crevice tool). The louver at the top of the baseboard should be open enough to allow for free air flow. Baseboard should never be blocked by furniture or long drapery.
• Lighting. Lamps used more than 2 hours per day on average are good candidates for replacement with compact fluorescent lamps. The energy bill savings will more than pay for the extra cost of the lamps over their lifetime, and you will have to replace fewer lamps because fluorescent lamps last ten times longer than ordinary light bulbs. Motion sensors or timers on outdoor lights can help reduce the electricity bill for these high-use lamps.

ENERGY ESCAPE ROUTES

• Energy Statistics

• Find a local heating oil dealer

• Find a local bioheat dealer

• Find a local biodiesel dealer

• Oilheat general information

• How Energy Conservation Benefits Everyone

• Heating Oil Tanks

• Energy Saving Tips