Set it and forget it: Heating Bill Savings - 14 News, WFIE, Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro

Set it and forget it: Heating Bill Savings

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The U.S.  Department of Energy says winterizing starts with your thermostat.

If you haven't upgraded in a while, it might be a smart investment to swap out that manual device for a programmable one.

These newer thermostats allow you to program a schedule of temperature settings, according to the hours you're home.

The "set it and forget it" technology means you don't have to remember to adjust several times a day.

The government's energy experts say you can save five to 15% on your bills just by dialing back that temperature 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day.

Experts also suggest a do-it-yourself home energy audit.

It's a simple checklist that looks at the energy efficiency of specific aspects of your home.

You can find the full checklist and do-it-yourself solutions at Energy.gov.

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