Simple Tips to Help Trim Your Winter Heating Bills

Living in the Upper Midwest all my life, I'm quite familiar with high winter heating bills. When the temperatures hit the below zero levels, which is quite common in the months of January through March here in my home state of Minnesota, those heating bills can skyrocket if we don't practice some ways to conserve energy. It's really not that hard either to trim a few dollars off those heating bills each month. Here are some tips on how to accomplish that and maybe save some money for a midwinter break to a warmer climate.

1. Turn the thermostat down: Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable for the family. Add an extra blanket to the bed at night if some family members complain about being too cool. If you can afford to do it, install a programmable thermostat to keep your home comfortably warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Once it's set, you don't have to keep making adjustments to it.

2. Open & close window blinds & curtains: Open those window coverings on south facing windows during the daylight hours to let mother nature help heat your home and close at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows. You will really be surprised how well this works, especially if you have a large window facing the south. I personally do this on a daily basis in my home.

3. Do a draft inspection of your home: Before the cold weather sets in, make sure ducts, walls, attic, windows and doors are all properly sealed and insulated. Adding a layer of insulation to the attic floor or under the roof, crawl space and basement will help keep those winter winds at bay. Even little cracks around electrical outlets, lights and plumbing fixtures can leak air into the home, so make sure they are all sealed, and also check for open fireplace dampers.

4. Clean heat facilitators: Dust and clean warm air registers, baseboard heaters, radiators etc. Make sure they aren't blocked by furniture, drapes or anything else that may prevent the heat from radiating through the room. Also clean and replace furnace filters as needed.

5. Keep doors closed on rooms you don't use on a daily basis: If you aren't using the space, why heat it?

For more energy saving tips, check out the website www.energysavers.gov/tips. It's a great website for tips on saving energy throughout your entire home, not only in the winter but all through the year.

Sources: energysavers.gov/tips
personal experience