West Florida Electric Cooperative Association, Inc.

As temperatures drop this winter, your electric bill might climb. After all, heating is one of the greatest energy expenses in your home. So, although you can’t control the weather, the following tips from West Florida Electric Cooperative can help you control your energy use so your winter energy bills won’t leave you cold:

Set your thermostat at 68 degrees F, then leave it there during the cooler months. For every degree above 68, you’re paying for a 5 percent increase in your energy use for heating. That might not sound like much, until you realize that, when you set your thermostat at 72 degrees F, you’re using 20 percent more energy to heat your home.

Keep your central heating system’s registers clean and clear. They shouldn’t be blocked by furniture, carpets or drapes.

Check your furnace or heat-pump filter once a month. Clean or replace if dust is blocking the air flow.

Wrap your water heater in an insulating blanket. It will pay for itself in one year or less.

Insulate hot water pipes and any ductwork that runs through unheated areas.

Seal the largest air leaks in your house — the ones that whistle on windy days or feel drafty. The worst culprits usually aren’t windows and doors, but utility cut-throughs for pipes ("plumbing penetrations"), gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.

Replace leaky windows with energy-efficient models or boost their efficiency with weather-stripping and storm windows.

If you have a waterbed, make it up each day. Regularly making the bed with a comforter can save more than 30 percent of the energy it uses. Insulating the sides of the bed can save more than 10 percent. You also might consider installing a timer on the bed’s heater so it doesn’t waste energy throughout the day.

Install a timer to switch off your electric water heater during the hours when you’re away.

Warm up to winter energy-saving