How can you cut your heating bill? After all the cold weather we have had those heating bills are way up this year.  There are some things you can do to lower your heating costs that are either free or quite inexpensive. For some of us that have lived in this climate for some time the solutions seem obvious, but if you are new to Minnesota, you may not know the ins and outs of heating bills. The following tips can save you money and you will still be plenty warm!

• Turn down the thermostat! Just turning the temperature down 1 degree can save about 3% on your heating bill.  Get a programmable thermostat or turn your heat down during the day when you are away as well as at night when you sleep.  It seems simple but you won’t notice much of a difference in how you feel just in how low your heating bill gets.
• Make sure your furnace is running right.  Get it checked and cleaned every one to two years, make sure and change your furnace filter regularly. Not only will this help you furnace to run better and more efficiently, it will last longer as well.
• Check the temperature on your water heater.  It does not need to be turned to the highest temperature. Turn it down to 125 degrees and you won’t even notice a difference.
• Make sure your insulation is working and you don’t have drafts. Check your doors and windows for drafts as well.