Winter is here in full force, especially for the Midwest, East Coast, and Florida. Who would of thought that 2010 would be so cold already? Yuck! So as many of you all already know, with winter comes the extra energy we use to power our furnaces, space heater, and other methods of heating our homes and all that extra energy can really put a huge dent in your heating/electric bill. Well, here are some great tips for cutting cost when it comes to your heating bill.

1. Lots of homes are particularly drafty, but you can cut down on that stubborn, cold draft by placing rolled up towels at the base of your doors or you can purchase kits from your local hardware store or other home improvement store.

2. Check your windows. Do you have single pain or double pain windows? Single pain windows are still out there and lots of heat can be lost through them. You may want to go down to the hardware store and pick up some shrink-wrap that is specifically designed to insulate windows. Another idea would be to replace the windows all together. There are tax credits available to people who are willing to put in the extra cost to make their homes energy efficient.

3. Set your thermostat and leave it! You can cost yourself a lot of extra money by constantly adjusting your thermostat. By setting it between 65 and 70 degrees you will keep your home warm enough, but still may want to invest in a good pair of house slippers and a robe! Just because your house isn’t warm enough to walk around in your bathing suit, doesn’t mean it isn’t tolerable enough to keep your house warm enough to save yourself some money.

4. Have your furnace checked and serviced. You could be using a lot of extra energy if you have a system that isn’t functioning properly. By having it checked and fixed, you are costing yourself a temporary expense that has the potential to really save you some money.

5. If you use propane, you might consider leasing a larger tank from your propane company. A lot of propane companies offer a lifetime lease in exchange for a better rate on your propane. A lifetime lease means that you will only buy propane from that company, but it might be worth it if you like your company and they will offer you a better price because you agreed to it.

6. If you and your family are considered low income, then you may want to look you’re your state’s weatherization assistance for low-income persons. This program in a federal grant program that is geared toward making homes more energy efficient by providing families with the home improvement measures needed to not only conserve energy, but to save families money when it comes to their energy bill. You can apply for this program at your state or local agency that handles government funded programs.