When winter temperatures settle in, and you have to keep your dwelling warm, you can crank up the thermostat, which will result in exorbitant heating bills-or you can adopt a few simple measures to cut those bills and still keep snug:

Install a thermostat that remembers. A 7-day programmable thermostat costs about $100, but it can pay for itself over a single season. Just set this dandy little device to automatically adjust the temperature depending on the time of day. It will keep the temperature relatively low during the day when you’re not home … raise it back up just before you return … lower it again when you go to bed … and raise it again just before you start your day.

Keep your furnace in tip-top shape. Dirt builds up in a furnace over a period of time. A dirty furnace is an inefficient furnace – an inefficient furnace wastes money. Get a professional cleaning, and replace all filters, every season.

Seal the deal. Chances are your house is losing heat through small cracks around windows and doors. Why pay to heat the outdoors? Find those leaks and seal them up with inexpensive caulk or weather-stripping, available at your local hardware store.

Keep the air moist. Humidifiers can contribute a number of benefits during the heating season. First, they add moisture to the air, and moist air feels warmer than dry air. Second, they’re beneficial to the skin, which is vulnerable to drying out and getting chapped at this time of year. Third, they help to keep nasal passages moist. Consider using a humidifier in the living room and another in the bedroom. Just remember to clean them regularly to prevent mold and scaling.

Let there be light. Take maximum advantage of Mother Nature’s furnace by keeping your curtains, blinds, and window shades open on sunny days. Heat from the sun is free, and that’s a lot cheaper than any man-made kind.

Bundle up. It doesn’t make much sense to dress in a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals, and then crank up the thermostat to compensate for that chilly feeling. Our great-grandparents probably didn’t have central heating, but they got along just fine by wearing sweaters and wool socks around the house when the temperatures dipped.

Stay snug as a bug in bed. You’ll be able to lower your overnight thermostat setting several more degrees just by adding another blanket or two. If you prefer an electric blanket, be sure to get one that automatically switches off if the temperature gets too high.

There’s no question that expensive remedies such as installing energy-efficient windows or new insulation will eventually pay off in lower heating costs. Unfortunately, that payoff can take many years. For now, our suggestions offer a cheaper, easier, and quicker fix.

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