Picked-up the mail before heading into the house, and you noticed the electric bill is a slightly heftier than usual. Yep, the cold weather has got you in a fight to keep the heater on or not, and you don’t know what’s next. Trust me, it’s the talk and constant re-visit Nathan and I have to take every month it seems. But there are ways around the big bill with no hurt on your heat during these cold conditions. Stephanie Frazier over at KLTV gives a few ideas on how to make sure happiness and warmth fills your house the rest of this season:

 

The Public Utility Commission of Texas suggests setting your thermostat at 68 degrees. They say that every degree of heating above 68 increases your energy usage 6-8%.

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Use more blankets at night instead of raising the temperature on the thermostat.

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Set ceiling fans on reverse to recirculate heat that builds up near the ceiling. This means your fan should be rotating in a clockwise motion during winter. Delmar Fans says that this can save up to 15% on your electric bill. 

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Use insulated curtains or other window coverings on cold nights. 

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During the day, open interior blinds or curtains to let the sun warm up your home.

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Warm water faucet leaks should be fixed immediately, as they raise your energy consumption rapidly.

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Close vents in unused rooms of your home.

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Don’t leave ventilation fans in the kitchen or bathroom running longer than necessary, as they replace warm inside air with cold outside air.

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Check around doors for air leaks; use caulking, sealing and weather stripping to close up seams, cracks and other openings to the outside. Even placing a heavy towel across a door jamb on the floor can help a little, but it is much more efficient to buy these inexpensive products to tighten up those leaky areas.

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If you have a furnace, change the filter monthly. Experts say that this will solve the majority of furnace breakdowns that most people face.