All too often simple things are overlooked in buildings that can result on significant energy savings if someone just took the time to give a darn about it. These days the old rules of thumb in the operations of a heating system just don't cut it, especially when fuel oil is approaching $3.00 per gallon.

One of the biggest problems that I see is that some people feel that spending money on energy conserv. In the case of multi-family and commercial buildings, the stakes are high enough that landlords should be standing up and taking notice. Yet some seem disinterested.

There are some excellent tips on fuel savings available on the internet. My personal favorite is produced by the US Department of Energy and entitled "Actions you Can Take to Reduce Heating Costs”. The fact sheet outlines the simple things that can be done to reduce energy usage without spending a lot of money on new technology.

I'm a firm believer in keeping it simple.