Energy Leak #3: This photo shows the attic air leak at the gable vent.

Quick Fix
Caulk around air leak. The triangular gable vent just visible at the top of the photo is reading warm, so it's leaking lots of warm air from the attic. That warm air is coming up through leaks in the second floor ceiling. Those leaks can be sealed with caulk, spray foam, gaskets or a combination of the same.

Not-So-Quick Fix
Have a HERS rating done on your house. The HERS Index, according to Energy Star’s web site, is a “scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.”

Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1 percent reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus, a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15 percent more energy-efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20 percent more energy-efficient.

To find out how your home scores on the HERS index, use the score, plus the capabilities of the rating software, to do some "what-if" scenarios for energy reduction to put together a master plan. Cost:$400 to $800