On Heating
Heat leaves your body through your head and feet. The easiest way to save gas and cut down on heating bills is to wear warm slippers. If you're still not warm enough, put on a sweater. For really cold days, put on a knit cap. Heat escapes through the feet and head, so covering these will keep heat in.
Dress for winter in your home, not just outdoors.
Put a blanket over you when you're sitting still watching television, writing letters, etc.
Install an automatic thermostat for your heater. Set it to come on shortly before rising in the morning to take off the chill, and set it to go off an hour later. By that time, you have all gone to work or school, or you are moving around enough that you've warmed up. The heater can also be set to go off when you go to bed or shortly afterward.
Use your fireplace to heat your home whenever possible, and close the flue in between fires to keep cold air out.
Turn the heat off at night and use blankets to keep warm.
For kids that kick off their blankets, buy them blanket sleepers to stay warm at night. Sleepers with feet keep in extra warmth.
Comforters keep in more heat than blankets.
Spouses can cuddle to share body warmth.
Hot coffee, tea or chocolate will warm up the whole body.
After using the dishwasher, open the door so the heat helps warm the kitchen.
Open the bed at least 30 minutes before going to bed to take the chill off the sheets.
After using the oven, leave the door ajar so the heat can warm the room.
Heat rises. Using a ceiling fan in a two-story house can help keep the downstairs warmer and keep the upstairs from feeling like an oven.
The Gas Company will check your gas appliances for free. They can turn down the pilot lights if necessary and make any other adjustments for more efficient heating or cooking.
Clean or replace your filters when the weather gets cold. A dirty filter will make the heater work much harder, and it could even be a fire hazard.
Let your electric dryer vent indoors in winter to help warm your house, just be sure to seal the hole to the outside so heat doesn't escape.
Keep the doors shut to rooms you don't use, like a guestroom. To keep from wasting heat in extra rooms with centralized heating, close the heater vent near the ceiling. It can easily be opened again later.
Do your baking early on cold days to help warm your house.
Open your drapes in the morning to let the sun warm the house, and close them after running the heater to keep warmth in.
"Were you born in a barn?" Teach your kids not to leave the door open when they go in and out of the house. It doesn't take long for the heat to escape and the chill to come in.
To keep warm on the coldest nights, sleep with socks on.
Get up and move around. Activity warms you up.
