Summer will soon trade it's swimming suits and lemonade for sweaters and hot cocoa. We may at first breathe a sigh of relief when 95 degree days are behind us. That is until the heating bill arrives. With energy costs soaring out of control trying to keep your home warm for your family can be stressful and a big strain to your already suffering budget. But there are some simple ways to reduce your energy bills, and to plan for rising costs, that will help keep your family warm without breaking the bank.

Reducing Energy Costs

Perhaps the best way to relieve budgeting is to reduce heating costs to begin with. There are big things that can save you money this winter if you have the cash up front. Replacing an old furnace with a newer energy-efficient model can often reduce your winter heating bill significantly. Also many natural gas companies will offer rebates when you install a new energy efficient appliance. The rebates can then be applied to your monthly bills which can help ease the pain.

Replacing the windows in your house can also be a great way of reducing energy costs. Low E argon gas windows help to insulate your home. Some window replacements can also qualify for a rebate.

However, if large home improvements such as these are not possible for you, there are some simpler ways to reduce your costs as well. Locking windows and doors will help create a tighter seal that can help to plug those energy leaks. Keeping heat at 68 instead of 70 degrees; this may mean wearing a sweater inside the house, but it is well worth the savings. Turning thermostats down at night, or when the house is empty will also reduce your energy usage. Utilizing ceiling fans will help circulate hot air from high ceilings to the rest of the room. Each of these simple tips can help reduce your heating bills.

Plan for Rising Costs

As we try to budget our money, it can be hard to plan for higher bills and rising energy costs. But there are some simple things that we can do to budget for these costs.

One idea is to buy extra food staples, toiletries, or clothing in the spring and fall when heating and cooling costs are at there lowest. Use the extra money from the lower energy bills during these months to stock up on food staples and other things so that when the higher bills come in, the budget has some wiggle room.

Another way to plan for energy costs on a monthly basis is to be placed on an equal pay plan, offered by most gas companies. This will allow you to spread the burden of high heating costs across the whole year, and makes budgeting simpler. As most of these plans are reevaluated every 6 months it is still important to conserve energy as much as possible or we may still find ourselves with sticker shock.

As we do our best to ease the stress of higher energy costs, a few simple things can go a long way. Through conservation and planning a head, we will be able to keep our families warm this winter.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Matthews.
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