Winterize Your Home and Car

A much colder winter is expected this year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, but thanks to lower fuel prices, most households can expect to spend less than last year. A typical household in the Northeast, where two-thirds of oil-heated homes are located, will spend an average of $1,117 — 9.7% less than last season's $1,237. Want to save even more? You can easily freeze your winter bills — without feeling chilly — by making these six simple fall preparations:

Schedule a home-heating inspection
Whether you're using home-heating oil, natural gas or some other means to keep your home toasty, the system should be checked out every year, says Harvey Sachs, a spokesman for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "It's necessary for safety, and it's necessary for performance," he says. A system that hasn't been cleaned and tuned up will lose efficiency over time, meaning you'll spend successively more for less heat output. Expect to spend between $75 and $200 for a complete systems check by a licensed contractor.

Seal up your home
A little draft here (say, a crack in the window frame), a little leak there (extra space around wires snaking in from the attic). You may not notice them, but cumulatively, those small air leaks are padding your home-heating bill. "If you add up all the hidden air leaks, it's like leaving a window open all year long," says Maria Vargas, spokeswoman for the Energy Star program. Seal 'em up with caulk, spray foam or weather-stripping from your local hardware store.

OK, so not all air leaks are as obvious as a chilly breeze or a rattling windowpane. (Some, like poorly joined heating ducts, can be downright impossible to spot.) Click here for an Energy Star guide on seeking leaks near the major culprits.

Use that thermostat
"Buying a programmable thermostat doesn't save money," says Sachs. "Using it saves money." Sounds obvious but EPA studies have found that only about 44% of households set the thermostat to turn the heat down during the daytime hours they're away, while only 52% set it to lower during sleep hours. Expect to cut your bill by about 2% per degree lowered over an eight-hour period. (The EPA translates this to estimated savings of $150 annually.)

Shop around for home-heating oil
If you're one of the 7% of households nationwide that use heating oil, breathe a small sigh of relief. For the first winter since 2001-02, prices won't increase significantly, according to the EIA. Last year, consumers paid an average $2.45 per gallon of home-heating oil; this year, peak prices are projected to be only a penny more. For most consumers, that translates to an extra 6%, or about $91, on your bill — a cost that can easily be cut by searching for low-price suppliers in your area, asking for a senior citizen discount or joining a fuel cooperative for locked-in, near-wholesale rates. Click here for more details.

Block off unused rooms
It's a simple equation — the less space you need to heat, the lower your bill. So winterize unused rooms in your home, say, the guest room or storage space, suggests Sachs. The how-to is simple. Turn off the heat supply to that room, and keep the door closed. Place a towel or run across the bottom of the door frame to prevent your home's heated air from leaking in. You can always warm it up when holiday guests drop in, but in the meantime, your system won't need to work as hard to heat your home.

Turn on the fan
Fans are a great help during summer heat waves, but they can be equally handy during the winter, Vargas says. Use your fan's reverse mechanism to turn the blade in a clockwise direction. That keeps warm air circulating through the room, rather than letting it linger near the ceiling.