If you heat your home with natural gas, expect to pay 28% more than last winter. Electric heating bills will be up about 10%. Here are some tips to save money as we head into another wet and cold La Nina winter.
Keep your thermostat at 68 degrees.
Switch to LED lightbulbs.
Washing your clothes in cold water can save up to $200 a year.
If you have ceiling fans turn counter clockwise to push the heat down.
Find your water heater and turn it down. They are normally at 140 degrees, but Brian Allbritton, the executive director of The Oregon Energy Fund, says turning it down will save you some money. “One hundred twenty degrees is what the Department of Energy says to set it to. That can save 10% on the source of power that you’re using for your water, your hot water,”
And right now, Energy Trust of Oregon is offering smart thermostats for $25, that’s hundreds off. The link and more saving tips on the Stacey & Mike blog.