15 Tricks to Take the Chill Out of Your Fuel Bill
By Jonathan Small

Ah, winter. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose, and...heating bills wreaking havoc on your bank account! That may not be how the song goes, but it might as well be these days. According to the Energy Information Alliance, a typical household heating with natural gas can expect to pay $350 more this winter than last (about $378 more if you use oil). And the burn doesn't stop at the home front. Jump in your car, and you can expect to rack up record-breaking costs: This year, passenger-car drivers will spend approximately $1,160 more on gas than last year; SUV drivers will pay $1,470 more. What does this mean for newlyweds? 'Tis the season to start saving some serious cash. Here's how.

At Home...

Buy new bulbs. Traditional light bulbs are so 2002. Recycle 'em and replace with compact fluorescent bulbs. They use two-thirds less energy, last six to 10 times longer, and will save you $60 a year, estimates the Alliance to Save Energy. In fact, if every US home switched five regular bulbs with the compact variety, it would be the energy-saving equivalent of taking eight million cars off the road for the entire year.

Think flannel. We're not saying you have to live like Eskimos, but lowering your thermostat from 72 to 65 degrees for just eight hours a day will cut your heating bill by up to 10 percent. Give each other flannel PJs, use flannel sheets, and snuggle often.

Get programmed. Invest in a programmable thermostat (around $60), which allows you to keep the temperature in your home down while you're away at work or on vacation.

Be a tree hugger. Planting a few evergreen trees around the south and east of your house creates a windbreak that stops chilling winds from blasting your windows. This simple act alone can help you save $100 to $250 on heating bills annually.

Wash wisely. Wash your clothes in cold water. Sixteen percent of the average home energy bill goes toward heating water. Who knew? Oh, and remember to only do full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.

Seal and wrap. Use caulking and weather stripping on your windows and doors to prevent those pesky little drafts, and toss an insulation wrap ($20) over your water heater. This will save you lots of wasted energy. If you're feeling really ambitious, install storm windows and reduce heat loss by 25 to 50 percent.

Go stovetop-less. Unless you're entertaining, don't go crazy with the stove, no matter if it's gas or electric - you're burning a ton of energy. Cook on a medium temperature, and keep the lids on the pots. Turn the ventilating fans off 20 minutes after cooking. Better yet, step away from the stove entirely and use the toaster oven or microwave instead.

Plan candlelit movie nights. This will keep the lights off and prevent you from spending hours mindlessly channel surfing on your TV or hitting the Xbox, raking up crazy energy bills.

Cuddle by the fire. If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, by all means take advantage. Turn off the heat in the rooms you're not using, grab a bottle of wine and a blanket, and get cozy. Just be sure to close the chimney flue when you're done. Having an open chimney is like knocking a hole in the roof with a sledgehammer.

Note: The best way to save energy with a fireplace is to install a woodstove inside it -- it's a lot more energy efficient than a regular fireplace because none of the heat escapes out the chimney.

In Your Car...

Curb road rage. Or any other kind of aggressive driving: Speeding, rapid acceleration, and riding your breaks wastes from 11 to 73 cents per gallon.

Multitask. Try to combine all your errands into one trip. Why? Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much gas as a longer, multipurpose trip.

Pimp your ride. Keeping the car properly tuned, changing the air filters regularly, and inflating the tires increases gas mileage by about 4 percent.

Ride shotgun. You and your spouse should carpool with each other as much as possible. If you have two cars, then use the one that gets the best mileage more often.

Go hybrid. If you're in the market for a new car, you might really want to consider one with high gas mileage. A hybrid-electric car, for example, can get up to 50 miles to the gallon. Even better, the government is now giving $2,000 tax deductions to those who buy them. For more information on high-mileage cars, check out GreenerCars.com. Knowledge saves power.

Copyright 2005 The Knot Inc. All rights reserved.