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A buddy once explained to us how he liked to keep the heat turned up in the cold months because, even though it was winter, he still preferred to sit around the house in a T-shirt. We don't see anything wrong with this as a fashion statement, but we suspect the planet prefers the energy-saving "sweatshirt look" for winter. Long underwear (top and/or bottom) can boost your cold tolerance even more.
In winter, keeping the heat set a few degrees lower can save quite a bit of energy. The US Department of Energy estimates that you can save up to $40 for every degree (F) you lower your thermostat during the winter heating season. "Brrr," you say? As President Jimmy Carter once advised, let a sweater be your friend!
In addition to dressing warmly and setting the thermostat lower, changing your furnace filter regularly can also help reduce your heating bill. Most technicians recommend that you change it once a month.
If you can stand by a door or window and feel a draft coming in from outside, a little work with the caulk gun or some weather stripping will add to your savings.
Every better-sealed window or door, every little downward adjustment of the thermostat will add to the energy you save, which in turn will means that power plants will create less pollution when generating the power they send to you. (If you use an in-home oil or gas furnace, your energy reductions will still save you money and reduce pollution.)
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