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I had fuel oil delivered last week. The deliveryman brought the bill to the door and requested we didn't open it until he left. It caused a little laughter at our house, but I can imagine how often he has been chewed on because of the recent increase in fuel-oil costs.

Today, I thought we could talk about what we can do to reduce our fuel consumption without spending a mint.

Air leaks are a major problem. You can reduce your energy consumption by 10 percent by tightening up your house. Of course, how much that decrease is depends on how leaky your house is. If you have a hole in your wall that was 4 inches square, you'll fill it immediately. However, if you have a 1/8-inch crack around a standard 3-by-5-foot window, you have the same amount of air infiltration.

Caulk around the windows and doors on your house. There is a wide variety of caulks available; check your local hardware or home improvement store. A tube of caulk and a caulking gun cost less than $30. That's enough caulk to do nearly anyone's house and the caulking gun will be around to use for years.

Check the weatherstripping on windows and doors. Run your hand around the door and see where air is coming in. Weatherstripping is available at hardware stores and lumberyards.

My door jambs have a little slot that the weatherstripping slips into, so I just took an old piece to the store for a match. There is always foam with glue on the back or a screw in weatherstripping, as well. Regardless of what type of door you have, there is a weatherstripping to fill that space. I tightened the weatherstrips around my door for about $8 per door.

Check the bottom of the door as well. You may need a new sweep (the part that closes against the threshold). Sweeps are available to fit all types of doors. Mine pops onto the bottom of the door, but there are others that slip over the bottom of the door and screw to the door itself.

Another common place for air infiltration is around wall outlets and switch plates on exterior walls. Install rubber gaskets behind them. The only tool needed is a screwdriver. Unscrew the plate, pop in the gasket, and you are well-insulated for a cost of less than a dollar per switch plate or outlet.

Windows are a huge draw on our energy dollars. An insulated window can lose 10 to 20 times as much heat as the same area of a well-insulated wall. If you have windows that are less energy efficient, cover them up. Use curtains or drapes to cover the window and add another layer of protection between you and winter.

This is one place cornice boards do a particularly good job. This is a box that fits over the top of the window and is covered with fabric. As hot air rises, it flows down the wall, cooling rapidly as it comes in contact with the cold windows. A cornice board keeps the air away from the window so it doesn't cool off so fast.

If you still want to look out the window, consider using plastic on the windows. There is a window film you can place over the window then use a hair dryer to shrink it to fit. It's a lot better than the plastic we used to put on the outside of windows and it's a lot easier to see through, too. You can cover a standard-size window for $3 and reduce the costs of that cold air streaming in.

If you are interested in a thorough energy check, call Golden Valley Electric Association for one of its energy audits. It costs $40 and will save you far more in future electric bills.

Make sure that you tighten up your house to reduce your energy costs this winter.