Winter Heating Bills

The cost of natural gas can go through the roof during long, cold winter months. Winters can be wet, windy, extremely cold, and very costly for those who depend on natural gas to warm their homes.

Home heating bills are the biggest winter expenses for most people. Heating a home can take up to roughly 65 percent of a residential gas bill. The costs to heat water for bathing, washing clothes, and washing dishes takes up about another 20 percent of the bill. The remaining 15 percent is spent on cooking and drying clothes.

Some residential heating bills often cost up to $500.00 or more per month. In many cases, this is unavoidable when there are children and/or elderly people in the home. These costs can be overwhelming, especially for people on fixed incomes.

There are some things you can do to lower your heating costs.

• Keep your furnace running smoothly by replacing filters on a regular basis and have it checked and tuned up as directed by the manufacturer.
• Remove lint, dirt, animal hair, and other obstacles that might clog up the heating vents.
• If possible, lower your thermostat if your health permits it.
• Wear a jacket or sweater while indoors or wrap yourself in a warm blanket. It is not as uncomfortable as it sounds and it will help keep you warm.
• Open curtains and drapes during the day and let the sun shine it. Sunlight will add warmth to your home. When the sun starts going down, close curtains and drapes to help keep the warmth in.

Natural gas is plentiful, clean, efficient, and safe for homes and businesses. Although it is plentiful, natural gas can be very costly if not used wisely so conserve whenever possible.

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