This winter, you may want to batten down the hatches and hide from this bruising economy, but if you re not careful, it ll cost you. The one bright spot in today s economic environment falling oil prices won t help consumers save money on heating.

The Department of Energy says homeowners can expect to spend an average of $971 on heating bills this winter that s down just 2 percent from last year, which saw the highest prices in five years. Here s how you can rein in costs before winter hits.

Plug the Leaks

This year home-improvement spending is expected to fall for the first time since 1995 as consumers put off expensive upgrades, says Kermit Baker, a director at Harvard University s Joint Center for Housing Studies. But simple projects like sealing leaks around electrical outlets and door or window frames can save 30 percent on energy bills and recoup costs within a year. Search caulking and weather stripping at eere.energy.gov to compare sealants for different parts of the home.

Hire a Professional

A growing group of auditors, raters and energy doctors use infrared cameras to pinpoint hard-to-spot leaks; examine utility bills and measure the efficiency of a home s furnace and hot water heater; and also can provide a report that helps prioritize energy-efficient upgrades.

Check with your utility company to see which of its services may be offered free or subsidized. For $200 to $600, certified experts can be found through Residential Energy Services Network, which has trained and tested its 1,000 members.

Replace Lighting

New LED lights decked out the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for the second time this year, and they can make your tree greener this year by shaving up to 75 percent off your holiday lighting bill and lasting up to 10 times longer. But they re still too expensive to use in place of the 45 traditional light bulbs found in the average home. Plus, according to Amanda Korane, a researcher with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, There s not enough testing done to differentiate the best bulbs.

To cut your non-holiday lighting bill, replace each incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent, which costs at least three times more but lasts much longer and consumes just $6 in electricity a year (compared with $22 for a comparable 100-watt incandescent).