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Staying comfortable doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Here are some ideas from the U.S. Department of Energy for saving heat and saving money.

When the white stuff starts falling, and the old thermometer is going toward zero, you know that the utility bills are about to start rising. But keeping your home warm and comfortable on a cold winter night doesn’t have to break the bank.

The U.S. Department of Energy provides these simple tips and relatively low-cost home energy improvements that will help guarantee that the cold stay’s outside and your heating system doesn’t have to work harder than it should.

The goal: Save on energy and keep more of your hard-earned moneyfor other things.

Share these ideas with your friends and use them for your own home. After all, who doesn’t need to save a little money nowadays?

1. air leaks by caulking, sealing, or weather stripping. This will save 10 percent ($150 per year) or more on energy bills. Focus on windows, doors, outlets and switch plates on exterior walls.

2. Maintain your furnace. Heating represents half of the average family’s energy bill (approximately $950 per year). Make sure your furnace or heat pump gets professional maintenance each year. The small cost (about $75-100 for a service call) will pay you back in better performance all year long.

3. Install a programmable thermostat. Re-Program your thermostat from 70F to 60F during the day, while no one is home, and while everyone is tucked away in bed, will cut the heating bill up to 10 percent ($90 per year), paying for a basic unit in less than a year.

4. Insulate and seal your heating ducts. A heating system can lose up to 60 percent of its warm air before it reachesit’ destination (wasting $550 in warm air per year) if the ductwork is not properly insulated in unheated areas such as attics and crawlspaces.

5. Satisfactory insulation in the attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawlspaces can save up to 30 percent of your home energy bills ($630 per year). Start inthe attic. (Heat rises.) You should have between R-30 and R-49 insulation in the attic. Learn more at: www.eere.energy.gov/consumer.

6. Close the fireplace damper when not in use. When in use, you can reduce heat loss, up the chimney, by opening the cold air feed control in the bottom of the fireplace (if provided) or open the closest window about an inch. Set your thermostat down to between 50-60F.

7. Take advantage of passive heat sources, like the sun! Let the sun shine in. Open the drapes on south facing side of the house, during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home, and close them at night to reduce the chill from the cold windows.

8. The use of hot water accounts for 15 percent of overall energy use. You can bring down your water heating cost by lowering the water heaters thermostat setting. Each 10F reduction can save between 3 and 5 percent in energy costs. Insulate your hot water heater and water pipes. Consider installing a timer that shuts the water heater off whenyour sleeping.

9. Install storm windows, if you have single-pane windows or consider replacing them with Energy Star qualified thermopane windows. Storm windows can trim back heat loss by 25 to 50 percent, and storm windows with a low-e coating that reflect heat back into the room during the winter months can save even more energy. Be sure to look for the Energy Star label if you want the big savings. Energy Star qualified windows reduce heating and cooling bills by an average of $345, but could be higher in colder or hotter than average climates, compared to uncoated, single-pane windows. If you can’t afford new windows rightt now, tape plastic to the inside of the window frames. You can get a kit at just about any hardware store.

10. Finally, when replacing appliances, light bulbs, electronics, or heating and cooling systems, you can slash your energy bills by up to 30 percent ($600 per year) with Energy Star tagged products. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in place of incandescent bulbs.

These improvements in your home can save you a good deal of money in the short term and serve as a selling point to possible buyers, if you decide to sell your home later.

I know this look like a huge list and your probably not sure where to start out, right? Just start out with number one and work your way through the list. After youv’e finshed the list, if you really want to save a bunch of money, visit us at enrgy money savings tips.