We don't know about you, but a lot of people dread the day when the weather has finally gotten cold enough that we have to turn the heat on in the house. And they also dread when it's cold enough to turn on the air conditioner.

No wonder! Whether you use oil, gas or electricity, chances are you'll spend thousands of dollars this year to stay comfortable.

In fact, it could get worse! With the price of oil right around $140 a barrel, we could easily see record heating bills again this coming winter. In fact, home heating oil prices are also near all-time highs.

It's pretty clear that higher energy prices are squeezing budgets. We're here to tell you that there are other ways to cut back on home energy costs.

3 Cost-Cutting Tips

Here are a few easy ways you may not have thought of:

1. Installing insulation could save you 30% and sealing up leaks can cut another 10%.


2. Since the biggest energy hog in the house is your refrigerator, keep the fridge's cost to you down by filling it with food. The more food inside, the smaller the space that needs to be cooled. Keeping the temperature inside the box at 37 to 40 degrees will also tame the use of energy.


3. Lastly, switch to fluorescent lighting. Fluorescents last 10 times longer and can save you 100 bucks a year.

Every little bit counts!

For more ways to save and hang on to your hard-earned money, click here.