Tips on heating the house this winter (part 2)

The second most common way to avoid large heating bills this winter is to use a programmable thermostat. A thermostat that can be programmed for different levels of temperature depending on the time of day will save you hundreds of dollars for the winter season. These usually go from $20 all the way to high end touch-screen home control systems for thousands of dollars.

Here's some picks from amazon:

1. Honeywell basic programmable thermostat - $21
2. Honeywell YRTH6300B1007 5-2 Day ProgrammableThermostat - $47

Another way of looking at this problem is to block your heated air flow to areas of your house that don't need it. This highly depends on how big your house is, and how many members you have. You could have a heated attic or a basement, shut those vents down if you don't use these areas often. Another level is to control the airflow depending on the time of day, and to help you with this there are programmable air vents available! Take a look at the following picks from amazon:

1. Vent-Miser 91663 Programmable Enery Saving Vent 12-by-2-Inches, White - $13
2. Vent-Miser 91668 Programmable Enery Saving Vent, 12-by-6-Inches - $27