As Gas And Oil Prices Go Up, Heating Bills Can Go Down…with A Little Advance Planning

BOUND BROOK, NJ (Thursday, October 20, 2005) - Skyrocketing natural gas and fuel oil prices can result in painful heating bills this winter. According to a recent report from the Energy Information Administration, natural gas users can expect to pay an average of $350 more this winter compared with last year, an increase of 48%. And those who heat with fuel oil will pay an estimated $378, or 32%, more.

However, it is possible to cut down on these expenses with a little advance planning, suggests Mike Kuhn, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Home Inspections and technical director of HouseMaster®, the oldest and most experienced name in home inspections.

"With proper maintenance and upkeep, as well as some adjustments in living habits, homeowners can greatly cut down on heating expenditures, while increasing efficiency and protecting the environment," says Kuhn.

Here are tips from the experts at HouseMaster to help keep homeowners warm and heating expenses down:

Reduce the use of exhaust fans in the kitchen and bath, which rapidly remove heated air from the home, except when needed to remove excessive moisture or maintain indoor air quality.
Insulate garages containing heating units and water heaters or uninsulated ducts and pipes.
Fully weather-strip all home entry doors.
Install a storm door with an automatic closer at uninsulated entry doors.
Caulk cracks around windows and doors to reduce air leakage and moisture infiltration.
Clear leaves and dirt from around the outdoor coils for heat pump units.
Insulate hot water pipes and heating ducts in unheated crawl spaces or attics to prevent heat loss; also insulate cold water pipes to prevent burst pipes.
Keep attic vents open so that outdoor air circulates and removes water vapor. Keeping a "cold roof" (allowing outdoor air to circulate through an insulated but unfinished attic) also helps reduce ice dams and associated leakage problems.
Clean or change the filter on your furnace regularly so that it will run more efficiently.
Install a programmable thermostat that can be set to automatically turn heat on and off (lowering the temperature at night or while you're at school/work and returning it to the desired setting before you wake or arrive home.)
Have your heating system serviced annually by a qualified heating service person before each heating season to keep it functioning efficiently and properly.
Homeowners should run through this checklist and make the necessary adjustments before the arrival of the rough winter months. According to Kuhn, "These guidelines will keep energy waste to a minimum, ease the stress on a budget, and help conserve energy throughout the season."

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