Heating and winter advice

Even though your electric consumption may decrease with the winter months, there are still ways to save:

Maintain the effectiveness of your heating system by having it serviced by a qualified contractor at least once a year.
Replace your disposable or clean your permanent air filters at least once a month.
Clean any debris and obstructions from around the outdoor section of your heating system.
During the winter, set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower when you are home and to 65 degrees or lower when you are away, to stay comfortable and reduce the amount of time your heater runs.
During the winter, change your ceiling fan's position to "up," and run the fan on "low" to help circulate the warm air trapped at the ceiling.
If you have an evaporative cooler, close any updraft vents, install the baffle plate (cookie sheet damper), and cover the unit before switching over to heating in the winter. Install the baffle plate (cookie sheet damper) in the unit before you switch over to air conditioning in the summer.
Never use your stove, oven or portable grill to heat your house; doing so creates a safety hazard.
After using your fireplace, make sure to close the damper - this will help keep the warm air inside your house and stop your heating dollars from going up the chimney.
In the winter, keep draperies open during the day to help let in the heat, and close them at night to help keep it in.
As temperatures fall and the days become shorter, cut back on the number of hours your swimming pool filter operates. Six to eight hours a day should be sufficient.