Put a Dent in Winter Heating Bills

By Remar Sutton, DCU StreetWise Spokesperson

As the calendar flips to the New Year, it signals that some of the coldest weather of the year will soon arrive (if it hasn't already). Last year's rising fuel costs have folks worried about this year's heating bills. Maybe the first big bills have already arrived. The forecast for this winter isn't exactly rosy. The forecasters at the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy predict that natural gas costs will rise about 9%. Sixty-one percent of American homes are heated with natural gas. Fuel oil costs are expected to stay about where they were last year, which is not especially great news since those costs climbed considerably from the year before. Whatever you heat your home with, however, you can put a dent in those costly bills by taking some simple steps. It's not too late for this winter. Here are some tips:

Lower your thermostat. According to the Alliance to Save Energy, you can save about 3% on your heating bill for every degree lower you set it.

Install a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats are not very expensive and most homeowners can install one by themselves. You can then program the thermostat to lower temperature while you are asleep or out of the house working and to raise the temp just before you awake or get home. Programmable thermostats can save 5 - 30% of energy costs.

Don't block the heat vents or registers. This may seem like common sense, but I had a friend who placed his couch right over the heat vent in the floor, then wondered why the living room never seemed warm.

Use your ceiling fan in winter. Remember heat rises. No doubt you've noticed how warm it is up near the ceiling when you change a light bulb while you are freezing in your easy lounger down below. Running ceiling fans on low can help keep heat evenly distributed without creating a downdraft.

Weatherstrip your windows and doors. If you don't have storm windows, blocking drafts that seep around loose-fitting windows and doors can make your house warmer and lower costs. It might take more time, but checking the exterior caulking between window and door frames and the wall for cracks or gaps and recaulking can also save heat and money. (If you're caulking on a winter day, make sure that the temperature of the air and of the surfaces you are caulking are warm enough to apply the caulk, as indicated on the caulking package.)

Cover window air-conditioners. If a window-mounted room air conditioner is going to stay in the window all winter, install an exterior cover or seal the interior off with plastic. Look for exterior covers at hardware and home improvement stores.

Clean furnace filters regularly. Most experts recommend once a month for regular filters. A clean filter helps the furnace run more efficiently and probably improves your interior air quality a bit.

Increase insulation. Check on the quantity and state of your home's insulation, particularly in the attic. Adding more insulation if needed to an attic is not usually very expensive and it can really help with heating costs.

Consider installing storm windows or double-pane windows. This is a more costly home improvement but double-paned windows with low-e coating can reduce heating bills by about 34% and cooling bills by about 38% according to the Alliance to Save Energy. If you are shopping for a new house, do keep this in mind.

These are just a few ways in which you can corral heating costs. For more tips and information, here are some excellent resources.

www.energystar.gov Any home, appliance or electronic equipment with the Energy Star logo has been constructed or designed to use energy more efficiently. The Energy Star has tips and information for saving energy in your existing home, too.

www.ase.org/consumer The Alliance to Save Energy offers a number of resources to help you save energy and money in your home. The Home Energy Checkup is a useful guide if you have flash media on your computer.

homeenergysaver.lbl.gov This website offers a home energy audit tool that you don't have to have flash media to use. You can also get info about energy use and savings in your area by entering your zip code.

www.eere.energy.gov The Energy Efficiency Page from the U.S. Department of Energy has tips for making your home energy efficient.

www.eia.doe.gov Do you want to keep an eye on energy prices and forecasts yourself? Perhaps keeping track to see if it makes sense to lock in a fuel rate for the rest of the winter (or make a note for next autumn) if your fuel provider has such a plan? This is the site for you. It has enough statistics, comparisons, forecasts, and information to make even the most curious happy.

So, what do you think?

If you find this review helpful, please pass the word to your friends. Also email me with any comments or suggestions.

Remar Sutton

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