Did you look at your heating bills this winter and think you better do something to lower the amount you pay next year? Here are 10 ways that you can reduce your heating bill.

1. By setting your thermostat to 20 degrees, you can reduce your heating bill by 5% to 10%.
2. Reducing your heat by 4 to 5 degrees at night or when you are out of the house can save 15% on heating costs. The easiest was to do this is with a programmable thermostat.
3. With all this lowering of temperatures you might be concerned about still being comfortable. Before heading to the thermostat, try putting on socks, a sweater, or a blanket.
4. Turn your water heater down to 50 degrees instead of 60 degrees. If you can’t keep the back of your hand under hot water coming out of your sink, it’s being heated more than necessary.
5. If you have an older, inefficient water heater, you can insulate it with a water heater jacket.
6. Reduce hot water use by using a low flow shower head and setting your washing machine to use cold water.
7. Keep windows and doors closed so that heat does not escape the house. For the same reason, only run bathroom and kitchen fans when needed since they will blow the warm air out of your house.
8. Let the sun in during the daytime, especially in south facing windows, to heat up the home. Close blinds and curtains at night as it adds an extra layer of insulation to the window.
9. Do you feel a draft in your house? You can check for leaks around windows and doors by holding a candle flame along the frames. If the flame flickers or smoke blows sideways, you’ll know there is a leak that might be able to be fixed with caulking or weather stripping.
10. Have your furnace inspected and tuned every one to two years. This will ensure that it’s running safely and efficiently. In between servicing, check the filter to make sure is clean.

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