Cold weather is here and – unfortunately – that means higher utility bills related to heating your home.

There are things you can do to address the rising cost of heating without sacrificing too much comfort, according to the Department of Energy.

Federal officials said they can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7-10 degrees from its normal setting for eight hours a day. For the winter, this would mean setting your thermostat to around 68 degrees to 70 degrees while you’re awake and then setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home.

In other words, you can save as much as 1% on energy cost for each degree if the temperature is lowered for at least eight hours.

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During winter, the lower the interior temperature is, the slower heat loss will be.

“The longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save because your house has lost less energy than it would at a higher temperature,” the Department of Energy recommends.

Other energy – and cost-savings tips include:

• If you have a conventional heating system, set your programmable thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and lower the setpoint when you’re sleeping or away from home.  For heat pump systems, however, the temperature does not need to be lowered when you are sleeping or away from home.  Heat pumps are so efficient the rule for these systems is to “set it and forget it”.  Just be sure to set the temperature at a reasonable temperature.
• Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as recommended.
• Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
• Eliminate trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if unsure about how to perform this task, contact a professional, the department recommends.
• Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
• Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
• During winter, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.