According to the United States Department of Energy, the average American household will spend 15% more this winter to heat their homes due to higher oil & gas prices and projections for a colder winter. While up from last year, these projections are lower than earlier estimates due to decreased demand and a more recent downward push on prices.  During the winter months, there are some simple, energy-efficient adjustments you can make to keep your gas and electric bills from soaring.  By using some of the techniques outlined below, you can reduce your energy consumption by up to 30% and help to protect the environment.

1. Seal and Insulate
Since almost half of the energy used in a household is devoted to heating and cooling, it makes “cents” to start by focusing your endeavors toward efficiency in that area.  A poorly insulated home with leaky ductwork and loose seals can drastically drive up your energy bills; however, fixing these problems is fairly inexpensive (and will keep your home’s interior environment more comfortable as well).

    Immediate fix

• Weather-stripping your windows and doors with spring metal, vinyl, felt or self-adhesive form. Tip: Start at your home's entry points - doors allow twice as much energy to escape as windows due to their larger size and more frequent use.

    Long-term strategy

• Insulate your home’s ceilings, walls, attics, floors, crawl spaces and basements to recommended standards (thereby reduce heating and cooling costs by 5% to 25%).  This can prove doubly useful in the summer because additional insulation will also prevent heat from entering your house.

2. Smart Heat
Your home’s heating system is a veritable workhorse in the winter.  Treating it well, cleaning it frequently and providing regular tune-ups can keep it functioning at top performance while reducing your energy hills.

    Immediate fix

• Clean your furnace’s filters on a monthly basis to improve the airflow throughout your home and reduce energy use.

    Long-term strategy

• Install a programmable thermostat: it can be set to raise and lower your home’s temperature when you choose, eliminating the need to remember to turn down the thermostat throughout the day. 

3. Bright Ideas
Your lighting and appliances consume approximately a quarter of the energy used in your home; making a few small adjustments in how you use them can make a large dent in your bills.

    Immediate fix

• Use task lighting instead of turning on several lights when you plan on staying in one area of a room.
• Rely on natural lighting by opening blinds and shades.
• Although most of us are mindful of turning off the lights when we leave a room, being extra diligent in flipping the switch can save you dollars on energy bills.

    Long-term strategy

• In your most frequently used lighting fixtures, install compact fluorescent lamps (CLF's).  They use up to 66% less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent lights.

4. Appliances and Equipment
Computers and electronics are ravenous consumers of energy in most households.  These machines can use energy even when they are turned off!  Likewise, aging appliances can be an enormous drain on your annual energy budget.

    Immediate fix

• Turn off all equipment every night – especially monitors and printers.
• Consider plugging all electronic devices in a room into one power strip;  simply switch off the power strip after shutting down your computer to shut down unused electronic devices.

    Long-term strategy

• As you replace your appliances over the years, choose to purchase appliances that are energy-efficient.  The Department of Energy has created an “Energy Star(Registered Mark)” rating awarded to appliances that achieve a set standard of efficiency.  Ask an employee at your local appliance retailer for details, or go to www.energystar.gov for more information.