Increase Comfort And Savings This Winter (NAPSA)—Don’'t let your heat- ing bills leave you cold. While high fuel prices mean heating al your home can take a bite out of your budget, you can reduce home heating costs and protect your property by following a few simple money-savingtips: e Check your roof. Replace loose or missing shingles, and be sure the flashing around the chim- Use a programmable thermostat ney or vent pipe is watertight. e Look for leaks around doors, to adjust the temperature in your pipes and ducts. Apply caulk, or turning back thermostats can significantly reduce heating costs. windows and the entry points for weather stripping, plastic or door sweeps as necessary to seal off leaks and prevent drafts. e Visit a home improvement center to find out how much insulation is recommended for homes in your area, then check the insulation in your attic to be sure it’s adequate. e Prepare your home heating system by changing or cleaning your furnacefilter, clearing debris away from intake and exhaust vents and making an appointment with a service technician to inSpect your system. Minimize the use of ventilation fans, which can quickly suck heated air out of your house. Check the temperature of your hot water heater to be certain it isn’t set too high, and wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket to prevent heat loss. Open curtains and blinds on the sunny side of your house when the sun is shining, and close them when the sunsets. Don't heat rooms or areas of your house that you do not use regularly. Closing vents in those areas homeon an automatic schedule. e Use your thermostat as a tool to effectively control heating costs. This means not setting it above the desired room temperature, because it will not heat your home more quickly, and your furnace will work harder. Similarly, setting your thermostat too low will cause your furnace to work harderto reheat your home during the day. A programmable thermostat automatically raises and lowers the temperature in your homeat preset times. Homeowners who purchase a Luxaire brand programmable “Talking Thermostat” from Johnson Controls will appreciate the thermostat’s EZ Talk feature that audibly guides them through every step of programmingtheir heating/cooling system thermostat. The user-friendly thermostat also offers a numberof additional features, including alerts and an easy-to- read, lighted LCD display that shows current temperature, set points and the heating or cooling modeof operation. To learn more, visit www.lux aire.com orcall (877) 874-7378.
