Winterizing Your Home

Winterizing Your Home

With heating fuel prices generally lower than last year's levels, many homeowners this winter could be in for a pleasant surprise when they open their monthly bills. Those who take steps to improve energy efficiency might even start to recover some of the extra cash they spent keeping warm over the last few years.

On average, the Energy Information Administration, or EIA, reports households heating primarily with natural gas, the most popular source of heating fuel, can expect to spend about $119 (13 percent) less this winter in fuel expenditures. The price of natural gas last year was artificially high, a result of hurricane damage to oil refineries.

Households heating primarily with propane can expect to pay an average of $15 (1 percent) less this winter, according to EIA, while those that heat with electricity will pay out $58 more on average (a 7 percent increase). The relatively small number of heating oil users should expect to pay about $91 (6 percent) more.

If you do have a little extra in your household budget this year because of lower heating bills, and many Americans will, then consider investing some of that money in energy-saving products.