Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
A warmer winter across the country has meant some reprieve for those looking to stay ahead of utility expenses. It's safe to assume we've still got some cold temperatures ahead of us, however. Frigid temperatures can mean an extra $400 or more gone each month for some families looking to stay warm. If you'd like to lower your winter heating bill by a hundred dollars or more in the months ahead, following some simple tips can help you pocket that money with just a little bit of effort.
Tip #1: Heat only the rooms you need. Assuming you use central, forced-air heating, it takes a great amount of energy to keep an entire house warm in the winter. There is no benefit to warming a room that you will spend little to no time in.
Do not close heat registers to stop from unnecessarily heating a room. The closed register can cause stress on your ducts and forced-air system. This can lead to leaks in your ducts and costly wear and tear on your system. The better option is to lower your thermostat and supplement with space heaters only where you need them.
Space heaters can be purchased for as little as $20 and can be very economical if you are heating a single room. Gas and kerosene style heaters may save you money but are not as safe and you'll be breathing spent fuel which isn't pleasant. Electric heaters have become much more safe than the kind you may have had in your home as a child. Most electric space heaters have a tip sensor and are designed to keep little fingers from touching the heating element. What were they thinking with those 1970s designed models?
Tip #2: Use your programmable thermostat. Between heating your home in the winter and cooling your home in the summer, a programmable thermostat can be one of the wisest investments you make all year. Actually programming it will be one of the smartest 15 minutes you'll spend.
There is no value to heating a home while you are away. Some people contend that it costs more money to reheat a home after allowing it to drop in temperature through the course of the day. This is absolutely not true. The best use of your heating dollars is to start warming the house shortly before family members arrive home. You'll find that it will actually take very little time to raise the temperature to a comfortable level. To maintain a heated home when nobody is around will cost you far more money as your generated heat will find myriad ways of escaping to the outdoors all day.
Experiment with how low you can keep your thermostat at night – particularly when using a space heater, electric blanket or heating pads, warm bed clothes, socks. Some families I know can actually crank the thermostat down to the low-fifties while sleeping quite comfortably.
Tip #3: Use ceiling fans. This one might be surprising – but the warmest air in your home will be found near the ceiling. A fan at low speed will circulate that warm air back where the people are. If the fan is not quite slow enough and feels like it's creating too much cool wind, change the direction so the fan slowly blows up. A ceiling fan is one of the least expensive ways to create more comfort in the summer and winter.
Tip #4: Dress warmly. It costs nothing to insulate your body heat with warmer clothing and comfortably enjoy a home temperature several degrees cooler. In particular, always wear socks. Cold feet mean a cold body. You can save about 3% on your heating bill for every degree that you set back your thermostat according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. If you were to lower your temperature just 3-4 degrees this would mean $20 saved on a $200 monthly bill. Put another way, it would cost you $20 a month to wear shorts and t-shirts in your home.
Tip #5: Get a home energy assessment. Watch this video from energysavers.gov to see what typically happens in a home energy assessment: http://sa2.me/energysaver. An experienced home inspector may reveal some major problems in your home's energy efficiency that could be costing you hundreds of dollars a year in the winter and summer months. If you'd like to conduct a free home audit and receive a number of ideas for saving money in your home, you can analyze your use at http://energyguide.com.
There are many other ways you can reduce your home heating bill this winter. Spend some time and learn about this subject. Your time spent learning how to be more energy efficient will pay you back many time over when your utility bill arrives each month.
The easiest way to cut your grocery bill in half is through using manufacturers coupons combined with the best sales at local stores. Normally, this takes a lot of work to create a winning shopping list for your family. Each week, SavingsAngel.com combines over 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with their enormous database of manufacturer coupons ““ which are found in Sunday's paper and throughout the Internet. This combination results in access to over 300 products each week for 50% off or better. Here are a few examples of deals that are available until Saturday at midnight. Please check out blog @SavingsAngel.com/blog each week for tips on how you can easily start cutting your grocery bill!
Josh Elledge (husband, and father of three) is the Chief Executive “Angel” of SavingsAngel, Inc. ““ launched from his home in January 2007. A husband and father of three, he now appears each week on television, in newspapers, and a number of radio stations across the country teaching families how to cut their grocery bill in half using the Internet. Elledge created the technology found on SavingsAngel.com through the need to save his own family's money. Successfully able to cut his own grocery bill from $600 a month to less than $300 a month, his message has reached hundreds of thousands of families. SavingsAngel.com is now growing rapidly throughout the country. You can watch a short video athttp://SavingsAngel.com that will explain more information about how to cut your own grocery bill in half with the help of SavingsAngel.com!
