Cut Heating Costs!

Don't spend all your cold, hard cash to keep warm this winter.  Try these tips to trim your heating bill, from Zeke Hausfather of Efficiency 2.0, an energy-management firm.

Free and Simple Solutions:

1. Lower your thermostat by five degrees and bundle up ~ Winter Savings: $300
   
2. Close your blinds at night ~ Winter Savings: $5
   
3. Ask your local utility to do a free home-energy audit to uncover air leaks and insulation problems ~ Winter Savings: Up to $250

A Furnace Checkup:

• Older models can waste up to half the energy you're paying for, so consider a new, more efficient one.  Winter Savings: $300

Small Investments:

1. Purchase DIY insulation for air ducts (at $5 per square foot) and hot-water pipes (at 25 cents per square foot) ~ Winter Savings: $63 and $13 respectively
   
2. Seal leaky windows with caulk from your local hardware store ~ Winter Savings: $5

A Gadget Worth Getting:

• Install a programmable thermostat for around $65 (you'll find one at any home-supply store).  Set it to 60 degrees Fahrenheit for five hours per night and sever hours during weekdays while you're at work ~ Winter Savings: $213

{This post is an excerpt from "Solutions: Cut Heating Costs" as published in Parents Magazine}