Simple changes can save on heating costs

The temperature may be dropping, and snow may be falling, but the one thing sure to go up this time of year is your utility bill.

Spokane Valley residents Janet Boehme and her husband Chuck have a surefire way to stay warm.

“We go south and leave the home thermostat at 56 degrees,” she says.

But those who can’t travel to warmer climes can still stay toasty without going broke. Spokane residents Bob and Kris Fiala have made simple changes in their South Hill home that save them money.

“We have a programmable thermostat on our furnace set at 60 degrees for sleeping and 67 degrees for a half hour before we wake up to warm the house,” Kris Fiala says.

They set the thermostat to 58 degrees when they are at work. The family of four had a $500 month last year, and didn’t want that to happen again.

Debbie Simock at Avista Utilities says being conscious of the way you’re using energy can help you save on your monthly bill.

“Everything you do adds up,” she says.

Resist the urge to build a fire in your wood-burning fireplace on a chilly day. “All your heat is going up your chimney,” Simock says.

The Fialas have a fireplace insert with a blower. They use it to warm their family room when they are home in the evenings. It’s much more efficient than a traditional fireplace.

Their daughter’s room is in the basement, which is always cooler than the rest of the home. They bought her an electric blanket and a small space heater with a built-in timer that shuts off automatically.

According to Simock, another heat waster is running bathroom and kitchen fans longer than necessary. “In one hour you can pull a house full of heat from your home,” she says.

The Fialas bought a quartz infrared portable heater. Fiala says, “We use this to heat two of our bedrooms at night by closing a hall door.”

Winter is also a great time to rearrange your furniture.

“Pull sofas and chairs away from windows,” says Simock. “You get colder sitting under a window.”

Another inexpensive energy saver is electrical outlet plugs. The plastic plugs used to protect babies prying fingers can actually keep warm air from seeping through the outlet holes.

Simock recommends checking out Avista’s Home Energy Analyzer, available on their Web site. The Energy Analyzer guides you through your home and can show you just how energy efficient your home is, as well as make recommendations to lower your energy costs.

The small changes the Fiala family has made are working for them. Fiala says, “Our bills have been reduced monthly by about $120 during this winter season.”