The EPA also recommends scheduling an annual house inspection. While this may sound like just one more hassle and expense, a professional contractor will check your thermostat and tighten electrical connections. Not only will an inspection reduce potential winter dangers like fire, it will head off many unpleasant surprises. Better to know that your furnace is on its last leg now than to have it clunk out on the coldest day of February.

Keep the heat indoors
To avoid other mid-winter surprises, ask your contractor to inspect your roof and the exterior of your house for cracks and gaps. Believe it or not, the number of cracks in the average house adds up to the size of an open window, according to the EPA. Rather than heat your whole neighborhood, the agency recommends taking a trip to your local home improvement store and sealing up those spaces with caulk.

Since heat rises, pay particular attention to the attic. If there are still cold spots, you may need to make a second trip to the hardware store and invest in some extra insulation. Energy Star, a joint program of the EPA and the Department of Energy, offers helpful do-it-yourself guidelines on their website.

Could your dishwasher be the culprit?
Once your house is sealed up, you can make it even more energy-efficient by installing a programmable thermostat. This technology can eventually save you as much as $150 on energy bills, says the EPA.

Of course, to really see the savings, you may have to replace several or all of your older appliances. Dishwashers, washing machines, and other appliances more than a few years old could be sucking the energy right out of your house—and the money out of your wallet. More than 50 products carry the Energy Star seal of approval. These appliances are certified energy-efficient. While buying a brand new washer and dryer may seem like an awful lot of money, especially when you are trying to save instead of spend, the investment will pay for itself in the next three to five years.

Take control of winter expenses
However, some North Shore residents aren’t willing to wait five years to see their energy savings. "I added all the costs of my house, utility bills, maintenance, insurance, water, and trash. I'm paying less money here than I was there," says Mickey Ratte, who moved to Brooksby from Beverly when too many repairs and expenses began adding up in her house. Mickey realized that keeping up with her house was not going to get any easier—or any less expensive.

Now, spikes in energy costs don’t affect her winter budget at all. Nor is she responsible for maintenance and repairs. Her home at Brooksby comes with a lifetime warranty and a full-time maintenance team. "If something breaks, I don’t have to worry about replacing it. It's taken care of," says Mickey.

Plan with confidence
"Mickey is one of a growing number of people who are finding greater control in communities like Brooksby," says Retirement Counselor Marisa Tazzini.

"Homeowners are forced to spend so much of their money on things that are entirely out of their control, like roof repairs, like snow removal, like big energy bills. Month to month, you just don’t know how much you’re going to have to pay, or for what," Marisa says. "That unpredictability is causing a lot of people to take a closer look at options like Brooksby. When you have this much financial control and stability, you can really plan for the future with confidence."

How energy-efficient is your house? An inefficient house can drain enormous amounts of energy almost as quickly as it drains your wallet. The following questions help you measure your house’s efficiency, and determine what improvements you can make. • Have you had a professional energy audit of your house in the past year? An energy audit will identify heat leaks in windows, fireplaces, doors, and the roof. • Do you change or clean the filters in your furnace once a month? This helps keep your heating system in top condition and can even prevent fires. • If your hot-water heater is in the basement or another unheated place, have you wrapped it in an insulation blanket to prevent heat loss? • Have you had a professional contractor inspect your heating system in the past year? A contractor will check your thermostat, electrical connections, and gas and oil connections. • Are your appliances approved by Energy Star? If your appliances are more than a few years old, they may be costing you money. Newer, Energy Star-approved products are better for the environment and your wallet. • Have you installed a programmable thermostat to help distribute heat more efficiently and without the hassle of turning it up and down?