Don’t be cold. There are several preventative steps you can take right away to help you avoid a dent in your cash flow when the mercury goes down.
If you have a programmable thermostat, make sure you lower it 10 degrees just before bedtime. Let that zero-kilowatt down comforter keep you toasty warm. The money you save will satisfy a lot of late-night pizza cravings.
It should go without saying that donning socks and a sweater will preserve your comfort, while also allowing you to lower the thermostat by a few degrees. Research has shown that even lowering the thermostat by just one degree may reduce your heating costs by as much as three percent. That may not sound like much, but it will add up. Also, don’t forget to change the filter, if you have a forced-air furnace. Dirty filters require your furnace to work harder, which increases your costs. Heating experts suggest you inspect filters monthly during the cold season.
Close the doors to those small, unused rooms, unless that’s the room where the thermostat is located. This way you are only paying to heat the living space you actually use. If you are using a traditional fireplace merely to provide that cozy ambience, you may want to reconsider. The draft of a fireplace can suck that heated air right out of your home, and up through the chimney, just like the Grinch who stole Christmas. When you light that fire, your furnace must work harder to replace the warmth that was lost through the chimney. Save those cozy interludes for that future home you’ll buy when you have that sheepskin at last.