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Consumers are being warned to prepare for higher heating bills this year, but they may not realize that natural gas price increases could affect them in other ways.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps more than 4.5 million low-income families stay warm in winter and cool in summer, channeling its money through states, territories and American Indian tribes to community agencies that take applications for aid.
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Monday, November 8
10 tips to save on winter heating bills
Gannett News Service
To help cut your heating bills this winter:
- Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable.
- Set your thermostat 5 to 10 degrees lower when sleeping or when the house is empty for four hours or longer.
- Clean or replace furnace filters once a month.
- Clean registers as needed. Make sure they're not blocked with furniture, carpeting or drapes.
- Limit use of ventilating fans, such as attic fans, in cool weather. In just one hour, these fans can pull out a house full of warmed air.
- Close dampers on fireplaces when not in use.
- Keep drapes on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow sunlight to enter your home. Close all drapes at night.
- Close unoccupied rooms and turn down the thermostat for them. Do not turn the heat off if it adversely affects the rest of your system.
- Set your water heater to 120 degrees or the warm setting.
- Select energy-efficient equipment when you buy a new furnace, water heater or large appliances.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
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