Winter heating bills

Springfield News-Leader

The weather is still beautiful outside. It's hard to think about winter heating bills. But it's important to do that right now, because experts predict this year's heating bills will be much higher than those in past years.

It's more fallout from Hurricane Katrina. That means now is a good time to start planning for ways to save money and make your home more energy efficient. Some experts predict people could spend as much as $700 more this winter.

Now is the perfect time to plan for the winter months.

One of the easiest things to do is to turn down the thermostat. When you're at home, you can put on a sweater or curl up in a blanket. When you're not at home, there's no sense in keeping an empty house hot and toasty. You should also consider turning down your thermostat before you go to sleep each night.

It's also good to make sure that your heat is staying in your house. Check for leaks and try to seal any places where hot air can escape from your house.

Conservation can be good for your budget and also a good use of resources. We should always avoid being wasteful.

A home energy audit is another tool that can save lots of money.