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Hold on to Your Heating Bills
Survive Rising Energy Costs By Sue Marquette Poremba
Go room by room. "We are really into managing heat by room instead of trying to heat the entire house," says Barbara Hampton of Carterville, Ill. "We shut off rooms we don't frequently use. We also have several of those electric oil heaters that look like radiators. We never leave them running over night, but it helps to close off a room and turn one on if you are going to be sitting. I frequently use one in my office since I'm at the back of the house where it is harder to heat in the winter."
Bake some cookies. Turn down the heat and turn on the oven in the evening. The oven will warm up the kitchen, and the family can enjoy time together baking and eating cookies.
Spend a romantic evening by the fire. We use our fireplace frequently in the winter. We turn down the heat in the rest of the house and spend an evening by the fire. Sometimes the whole family will play games or read books by the fire, but often, my husband and I will turn off the lights, light candles and enjoy an evening together in this cozy, warm room.
Keep a good attitude. A positive attitude is everything. Hang up pictures of warm places. (I have a calendar of tropical beaches that I look at whenever I'm cold.) Recall summer vacations. Wear fuzzy bedroom slippers and flannel pajamas that make you smile. And remember, winter won't last forever.


