SAN ANTONIO -- The recent cold mornings have had many of us cranking up the heat. So, what can you do to keep your family warm without breaking the bank?
Warming your home can be tricky. Some new homes are made to be energy efficient. But not every home is. That means lot of your warm air could be heading out your doors and windows.
The first step, take a look at your thermostat. Since 58% of your utility bill can either come from your heating or cooling, CPS Energy recommends you set your thermostat at between 68 and 70 degrees when you're home and about 65 degrees when you're not.
Foam insulators on every outlet also help keep the warm air inside your home. Plus, check your water heater.
"You get a lot of heat loss from these water heaters, up at the top of the tape," John Moreno of CPS Energy told us. "So, if we can insulate the pipes, then obviously, we're going to help conserve some of that heat energy inside the water heater tank itself."
Another way to make sure your home is energy efficient is to check the doors. Placing weather stripping on your doors can help close out the cold and heat. Or, you can always stick a piece of paper or newspaper at the bottom of the door to to give it a nice, tight seal.
Keep in mind, though, it could take a while to see a change in your bill.
"Any time that you have a cold spell, you probably looking at about 30 days or almost 30 days before you see that utility bill," said Moreno.
