Want to see how drafty your home is, or want a foolproof way to detect air leaks in your home? Start by turning off all combustion appliances in your home, like gas-burning furnaces or water heaters. Do this on a cool, very windy day. Shut all the windows, doors and fireplace flues. Make sure all fans, clothes dryers and vents are totally off, too. Try to make your home as airtight as possible. Now light a stick of incense. Follow the smoke, and see where it naturally wafts. If you find an area you suspect has a leak, use a wet hand to locate it; the water will feel very cool and should lead you right to the energy-hogging leak.

When it's time to replace your worn-out bath towels, don't throw them in the trash. Instead, give them one last wash and dry at home, then take them to your local animal shelter. Animal shelters are always in dire need of towels because they can be used for a whole host of purposes -- from drying animals and cleaning to playing games and lining beds. Because the towels are soft and absorbent, they'll already be broken in enough to keep the animals warm.

Modern dishwashers are designed to not only get your pots, pans, cutlery and dishes sparkling clean, but to do it using less water and energy. But even with the most efficient dishwasher, there are small tricks you can do to save even more energy when running a full load of dishes. If you have a booster heater in your dishwasher, lower the temperature by 20 degrees (to around 120 degrees). By lowering the temperature, you'll still get clean dishes, and it speeds up the whole dishwashing process. You save energy and time with this one simple trick.