NBC25 NEWS - Heating prices continue to sky rocket, and if you’re looking to save a little money on your next bill, you don't necessarily have to cut back on how much you use.

Heating is a huge expense for many households.

It also accounts for about 56% of the energy used in a home.

Mother Nature can help heat your home the green way.

“There are so many things that are free - the wind, the sun and geothermal.  I said it would just be great to combine all that," says Dave Fulmer.

He’s built a home that's powered by the sun, the wind, and the earth.

"There are no fossil fuels in it.  No wood, no propane, no coal, no gas, because I'm going to make my own electricity to heat and cool the house and maintain the house," Fulmer explains.

The earth surrounding Dave's home will trap heat in the winter.

In summer it will keep the house cool.

Solar panels bring in more energy.

Dave certainly represents one end of the spectrum.

Of course there are meaningful things you can do without building a brand new green home.

You could start by performing an energy audit.

Drafts and leaks can waste vast amounts of energy, and they're not just around windows and doors.

They can be found around electrical outlets and switch plates, fireplaces and attic doors.

Just by eliminating drafts many people can reduce their energy use by up to 30 percent.

It's also important to make sure your insulation levels are up to today's standards.

Regularly inspecting your furnace is also a good idea.

Of course there are big-time projects that can have even more impact.

Bill VanHee has been selling geothermal heating systems for 30 years.

He says, "The last two years we have seen a huge increase in interest.  We've gone from 12-15 units a year to we're probably going to be doing 35-40 units a year."

Homeowner Alan Sleeman says it's good for the environment and his wallet.

"I found that even though it costs more initially, it would pay back in about 5 years time," Sleeman says.

The bottom line on heating is this: you can think as big or little as you like, but any action is better than none at all.

Converting one million homes to geo-exchange instead of oil or natural gas heating systems would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nine billion pounds.