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

When the snow starts falling, and the old mercury is heading down, you know that the heating bills are going to go in the opposite direction. But keeping your home warm and comfy on a cold winter night doesn’t have to empty the old wallet.

The U.S. Department of Energy provides these simple tips and relatively low-budget home energy improvements that will help make sure that the cold stay’s where it belongs, outside, and your heating system doesn’t have to work harder than it needs to.

The goal: Conserve energy and keep more of your hard-earned dollarsin your pocket.

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

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

2. Maintain your heating system. Heating represents one half of the average family’s energy bill roughly $950 per year). Make sure your furnace or heat pump has professional care every year. The average cost (about $75-100 for a service call) will pay you back in improved performance all year long.

3. Install a programmable thermostat. Programming the thermostat from 70F to 60F for eight hours a 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 your heating ductwork. A heating system can lose up to 60 percent of its warm air before it reachesthe register (wasting $550 in warm air per year) if the ductwork is not properly insulated in unheated areas such as attics and crawlspaces.

5. Sufficient insulation in the attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawlspaces can save up to 30 % on home energy bills ($630 per year). Focus onthe attic. (Heat rises.) You should have between R-30 and R-49 insulation in the attic. You can 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 tou got one) or open the nearest 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 blinds 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. Hot water accounts for 15 percent of overall energy use. You can reduce your water heating expense 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 turns the water heater off whenyour sleeping.

9. Install storm windows, if you have single-pane windows or replace them with Energy Star qualified thermopane windows. Storm windows can reduce 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. Look for the Energy Star label to maximize your 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 areas, 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 a/c syatems, you can slash your utility 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 bunch of money in the short term and act as a selling point to potential buyers, if you decide to sell your home later.

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