| |
Despite the recent drop in crude oil prices, keeping warm this winter is likely to have a chilling effect on
household budgets as Americans continue to face record-breaking heating costs.
By taking stock of the situation now, you can make a few key adjustments to keep soaring prices in check.
According to the Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook, updated in October, the situation
is not pretty, no matter which way you slice it.
If you use natural gas, you will pay, on average, $1,010 this winter -- $155 more than last year, an 18 percent increase.
If you stay warm using heating oil, you'll need to come up with approximately $2,388 this winter -- an additional $449 over
last year, up 23 percent from a year ago.
If you have a propane system, expect to pay about $1,861, or $188 more this winter, up 11 percent from last year.
If you depend on electricity to run your heating system, the EIA predicts that you'll pay $947 this winter, $89 more than last
year, up 10 percent.
"This is going to be a very tough year for a lot of people," says Rozanne Weissman, a spokeswoman for Alliance to
Save Energy, a Washington, D.C., based organization that promotes energy efficiency. But no matter what size financial investment
you are able to take, there are steps you can take to keep costs down.
You can definitely make a dent in your heating bills for little or no money, says Charlie Szoradi, chief executive
officer of GREENandSAVE, a Web site that calculates the return on investment
of various energy-saving actions. Here are a few low-cost suggestions:
Save without spending
Turn down the heat. The quickest and easiest thing to do is turn the thermostat down a few degrees.
According to the California Energy Commission, you'll save 5 percent on heating costs for every degree you lower your heat in the
60-degree to 70-degree range.
Change your heating system's filter. "If the filter gets dirty, that fan is sucking air
through the dirty filter so it's costing more money to pull the air through," says Reggie Marston, who advises customers on energy
savings as president of Residential Equity Management Home Inspections in Springfield, Va. Depending on the type of filter, you should
change it every one, two or three months.
Make use of solar. Even if you don't have the money to install a solar heating system,
you can make the most of the sun's natural heat. Open curtains and other window treatments during the day to get the benefit of the
sun's rays.
Turn down your water heater's thermostat. If your water heater's thermostat is set higher
than 120 degrees, you're pouring money down the drain. "People jump in the shower and it's 150 degrees and they immediately turn cold
water on to temper the hot water down so they just wasted all that money heating the water for no reason at all," says Marston. If your
water heater measures temperature in a range such as high, medium and low rather than providing the exact degree, turn the water in your
shower as hot as it can go and measure the temperature with a thermometer -- like one you'd use in a pool or spa or a meat or baking
thermometer. If the reading is above 120 degrees, turn the water heater's thermostat down.
Maximize the air's moisture. If you have a humidifier, use it, because moist air feels
warmer than dry air at the same temperature, advises HVAC industry expert Blaine Fox. If you add humidity to dry, heated air in the
winter, you can set your thermostat lower and still be comfortable. Get the same effect by putting shallow pans of water on radiator
tops or near warm air vents to raise the humidity level, Fox adds.
|
