Become More Energy Efficient and Save Money!

The government and other climate data services are predicting that this winter could become the warmest on record, besting 2005. With oil prices flirting with $100 a barrel and predictions of increased expense to heat homes, this is, indeed, welcome news.

But don't sit back and allow energy to seep out of your home based on "predictions." The way we see it, (cynical Daria here), if my local TV weatherperson can't accurately predict the weather for tomorrow, why would anyone take these government predictions to the bank months in advance?!

Besides, even if temperatures are a little warmer than normal this winter, you can still save big on your energy bills for years to come with a few smart moves now.

Smart Energy Move #1 - Check your insulation

Homes built before the oil crisis of the 70s didn't necessarily come with any insulation. So, if you live in an older home and have an attic, make that the first place you check. If there is no insulation in the attic, chances are good there's no insulation in the house!

Now, I'm (this is Daria, again) not suggesting that you start ripping out walls to insulate your home, but adding insulation to the attic and down in the basement where the masonry meets the wood walls could save you 5% on your heating bills if the house has some insulation and as much as 25% if the house has had no insulation!

And, girls, if you've been trying to get your husband to paint a room or two and he has resisted, try this.

You can actually brush insulation on the walls as you paint it without ruining the color of the paint. There is a non-toxic ceramic powder you can mix into paint which can reduce the amount of heat that passes through to the great outdoors.

You can tell your hubby that you're asking him to paint your bedroom (and other rooms!) to keep heating costs down. Telling him you'll save enough money to maybe buy that new HD-TV he's been eyeing might do the trick!

Smart Energy Move #2 - Blanket your water heater

Water heaters installed before 1997 are, generally, not well insulated. Rather than going through the expense of replacing the water heater with a new unit, buy the "ENERGY HOG"� - a "blanket"� - for as little as $20. A poorly insulated water heater could be losing 3 degrees of heat per hour, forcing it to run more often to maintain your desired temperature.