by JoAnn Powell

Created on: November 23, 2009

Winter heating costs can significantly increase your monthly energy bill. Whether you heat with natural gas, oil, propane, or electric, your costs will be higher in the winter. You can cut down on the monthly costs by examining how you are using the energy in your home and taking steps to lower the usage.

1. Lower the thermostat. Save money and energy by keeping your thermostat set at no higher than 68 degrees during the daytime if you are at home, and lowering it even more while you sleep. Setting a thermostat lower can mean a savings of 1% for each degree you lower the setting for an eight hour period. Use the blankets at night and turn the temperature down a notch.

2. Wear warmer clothes. Long sleeves, socks with shoes, and sweaters help keep you warmer so you won't even notice the lower temperature settings. While watching TV or reading in the evening, snuggle with a blanket.

3. Insulate the hot water heater. Blankets to insulate hot water heaters can be purchased at most hardware stores for about $20.00. By enclosing the water heater with insulation you are helping conserve the heat in the water and lower the energy needed to re-heat when needed.

4. Check the furnace filter regularly. In the winter, check your furnace filter every two weeks and replace it when it's dirty. A dirty filter keeps the warm air from flowing efficiently through the heating ducts and reduces the amount of heat you are receiving.

5. Replace light bulbs with newer, more energy efficient bulbs. Not only are the newer bulbs more efficient, they last longer, saving replacement costs.

6. Wash laundry in cold water. There are many new laundry detergents specifically formulated to clean in cold water and still ensure clean clothes. Washing in cold water also keeps clothes from fading as much and keeps them looking newer longer.

7. Run the dishwasher with a full load. A dishwasher uses less hot water than washing and rinsing dishes by hand. Since you're running the cycle anyway, make sure you have a full load each time you use it.

8. Dry clothes on racks indoors. Any heating element uses extra energy, and the dryer is no exception. You can arrange drying racks or clothes lines in unused rooms or the basement and dry your clothes without the dryer. Permanent press items may still need to be done in the dryer (unless you want to iron them), but almost everything else will do fine if line dried.

9. Open blinds and draperies to let the sunshine in. Sun streaming though the windows can raise the room temperature by 10 to 15 degrees, even if the temperature outside is low. The radiant heat from the sun will warm the inside rooms so you can keep the thermostat low and still feel warm.

10. Use a crock pot or the microwave for cooking meals. These appliances use less energy than the range. And don't forget about the gas grill out on the patio when the weather is decent, or even if it's not. We cooked steaks in a snow storm one Christmas and that still brings back fond memories.

11. Unplug cell phone chargers, computer printers and fax machines, or other chargers when not in use. If plugged in, they are still drawing a small amount of electrical current that contributes to the over all energy usage.

While some of these tips may seem strange or hard to adjust to in the beginning, they will soon begin a natural habit, empowering you to have more control of the energy you use and the money you are spending to pay for it.

Learn more about this author, JoAnn Powell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.