Video: Eco-friendly ways to save energy, money

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SEATTLE - Gas and oil prices threaten to make this an expensive winter for heating homes.

Locally, Puget Sound Energy just announced a 5 percent rate hike for natural gas.

So we asked experts to help us come up with five great ways prepare for the cold, dark days of winter.

1. Use insulation made from denim scraps. One brand is called Ultra Touch. Just place it in uninsulated walls and watch your savings increase. "This is green insulation, even greener than usual because it's made of denim scraps. It comes from a blue jean factory," said Tom Watson, King Co. EcoConsumer.

2. Use a Kill-a-Watt Meter. Plug your appliances into the $25 device and it will tell you how much energy you are using. This will help you find the "energy vampires," or appliances that use the most energy.

3. Use a vacancy sensor. "These automatically turn the lights off when somebody isn't in the room," Watson said. "It's great if you have teenagers."

KING

King County EcoConsumer Tom Watson says a Kill-a-Watt meter can help you determine what appliances are using the most power.

4. Burn incense and watch where the smoke blows. "Well this is just simple incense, it's a neat little trick because what it can do, it can show you where your leaks are," said Rem Husted, of PSE. Just wave it around windows, and where the smoke blows toward you, there's a leak.

5. A programmable thermostat is easily installed and saves big on power use when you're in bed or not home.