Substantial home energy savings can be as simple as changing humidity levels and washing clothes in cold water.

"People think about these [energy-savings] issues as complicated and expensive, but that's not the case," said Jerry Loch, an energy-use and financial management educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension who conducts energy-savings workshops in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. "There are a lot of low-hanging fruit."

Here are 10 simple changes that can lead to big savings when oil prices are skyrocketing: