If you're shocked every time you open your bill from the electric company, it might be time to do a home energy audit. You'll save money, and maximize the efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment. Follow these steps to start the savings and take notes as you go.

You could see savings of 5 to 30 percent on your energy bill each year by reducing drafts in your home. Common areas for leaks are gaps along the baseboard or edge of the flooring; the point where the wall and ceiling meet; electrical outlets; switch plates; window frames; baseboards; weather stripping around doors; fireplace dampers; attic hatches; wall- or window-mounted air conditioners.

Gaps are also found around pipes and wires, electrical outlets, foundation seals, and mail slots. Check to see if the caulking and weather stripping are applied properly and are in good condition.

Windows and doors are next. Check for leaks and see if you can rattle them, which is another sign that air leakage occurs. The DOE says if you can see daylight around a door or window frame, then it leaks. If your windows are quite old, you might consider replacing them with new, highly efficient ones.

On the outside of your house, inspect all areas where two different building materials meet, including all exterior corners; where siding and chimneys meet; and areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding meet. Fill any holes with the proper material. Check exterior caulking around doors and windows.

When sealing your home, be mindful of backdrafting, which occurs when a combustion appliance, such as a fireplace, competes for air with exhaust fans, pulling polluted, toxic air back into your home. Backdrafting is dangerous.

Insulation is a cost-effective, easy way to maximize the performance of your heating and cooling equipment. If you don't have the right amount of insulation, you could be losing large amounts of hot or cold air. If you have an older home, it's probably time for an upgrade.

The attic hatch should be as heavily insulated as the attic if it is located above a conditioned space. Seal any gaps around pipes, ductwork, and chimneys with a permanent sealant.

The DOE suggests checking for a vapor barrier under the attic insulation. The vapor barrier might be tarpaper, Kraft paper attached to fiberglass batts, or a plastic sheet. If there does not appear to be a vapor barrier, you might consider painting the interior ceilings with vapor barrier paint, which will reduce the amount of water vapor that can pass through the ceiling. The DOE warns that large amounts of moisture can reduce the effectiveness of insulation and promote structural damage.

Make sure that the attic vents are not blocked by insulation. You also should seal any electrical boxes in the ceiling with flexible caulk (from the living room side or attic side) and cover the entire attic floor with at least the current recommended amount of insulation.

The DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recommends the following steps to check a wall's insulation: Select an exterior wall and turn off the circuit breaker or unscrew the fuse for any outlets in the wall. Be sure to test the outlets to make certain that they are not "hot." Check the outlet by plugging in a functioning lamp or portable radio. Once you are sure your outlets are not getting any electricity, remove the cover plate from one of the outlets and gently probe into the wall with a thin, long stick or screwdriver. If you encounter a slight resistance, you have some insulation there. You could also make a small hole in a closet, behind a couch, or in some other unobtrusive place to see what, if anything, the wall cavity is filled with. Ideally, the wall cavity should be totally filled with some form of insulation material. Unfortunately, this method cannot tell you if the entire wall is insulated, or if the insulation has settled. Only a thermographic inspection can do this.

Cold air could be escaping into your living areas. If your basement is unheated, find out if there is insulation under the floors of your living area. If your basement is heated, your foundation walls should be insulated to an R-value of 19. The water heater, hot water pipes, and furnace ducts should all be insulated.

Duct leakage if a fact of HVAC life. If your AC isn't working properly, this is the first thing you'll want to check. Often, leaky ducts can be fixed as a DIY project with duct mastic. The DOE recommends checking your ductwork for dirt streaks, especially near seams, which is an indication of air leaks.

A professional should inspect HVAC equipment annually. Check filters regularly on your heating and cooling equipment and have them cleaned or replaced as often as the manufacturer recommends (every month or two is a general rule).

A heating or cooling unit that is more than 15 years old should probably be replaced with a newer more energy efficient one. With newer furnaces, 80 percent efficiency is standard, and there are some models with 95 percent efficiency.

According to the DOE, energy for lighting accounts for about 10 percent of your electric bill. Examine the wattage size of the light bulbs in your house and reduce the wattage where you can. You should also consider compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) for areas where lights are on for hours

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