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Your gas bill can be your most expensive utility during the cold months of the year.  With the forecast to be very chilly this coming week, check out these tips for regulating your gas usage to save on your monthly bills.

1. Close all windows properly. Make sure that the top half of the windows haven’t fallen down.

2. Take all window ACs out of the windows. Keeping them there is the same as leaving your window open.

3. Turn down your thermostat to its lowest setting when leaving the property for a few days.  Do not turn your heat off completely during the winter months.  The lowest recommended setting is 58 degrees.  If you turn off your heat during freezing temperatures, you run the risk of having your pipes freeze and flooding in your apartment.

4. Turn down your thermostat to a lower setting when going to bed.

5. Turn down your thermostat when you have a large group of people over. People generate heat and can cause the temperature to rise naturally.

6. Cranking up your thermostat to a high setting, in most cases, does not cause your house to be heated faster, it only makes your heater work harder. Set your thermostat to its desired setting and keep it there.

7. Cover windows with heavy drapery or use an insulation kit (example: Frost King Window Insulation Kit) to keep the heat inside your apartment.

8. Use draft guards (example: Duck Brand Double Draft Complete Door Seal Set) to keep drafts from coming through your windows and doors. Some draft guards claim to reduce heat bills by 12 to 15 percent.

9. If you are going to be home alone for a few days and do not need to heat your entire house, close all the vents and doors to all the empty rooms. Consider turning down your central heat and just using space heaters for the room(s) that you will be using.

10. When using your washer and dryer, set the temperature to lower settings, make sure to only do full loads, and always clean the lint trap before using the dryer.

11. When using your dishwasher, set the temperature to lower settings, rack dry rather than using the dishwasher dryer, and make sure to only do full loads.

12. Use a toaster oven rather than your full oven for cooking small portions.

13. Rather than cranking up your heater, use a space heater (example: Lasko Ceramic Heater) to heat smaller spaces that don’t get as much heat as the rest of the house.