Autumn snow in Vermont means Winter is almost here!

The Weather guy this morning said Interstate 80 which cuts right through the middle of the USA might have snow packed conditions today. Halloween is still a week away and people from Kansas to South Dakota are looking at snow today!

School children are wearing their coats today in many a town!

And heaters are kicking in - or have been - warming up many homes in this last full week of October! Heating bills are supposed to rise this year. According to government economists who keep tap of these things - we can expect to pay 10 to 20 percent more to heat our homes than we did last winter.

Act now! Take some simple steps to help minimize the impact our your household budget.

Turn down your thermostat. Experts say you can save 10% off your heating bill if you lower your thermostat by 5 degrees! Not bad.... I'll take that $20 I'm saving and buy some compact flourescent light bulbs. They give about the same light and cost way less to use.

If you swap out the light bulb on your front porch and put in a compact flourescent bulb instead - you could save about a dollar a month. That pays off the bulb in the first few months you have it! And they last for up to 8 years! And that is just one light bulb. How many bulbs can you swap and start saving your hard earned money?

Phantom loads on your electrical system can really add up. When you turn off your TV it can keep using electricity all night long. And turning off your computer while you are asleep and at work can save you over $10 each month. Small savings add up.

You can soften the blow of higher heating bills this Winter. Take the simple steps to lower utility bills and watch your savings grow!

Act Now - You Can Have Lower Utility Bills

Experts are forecasting that this winter consumers across the country will feel the bite from higher heating costs. Some government statisticians are guessing that the average household will spend around 15% more than they spent last winter to heat their home this winter.

Heating oil customers stand to bear the biggest price increase - in the vicinity of 30%. Natural gas users can expect to pay up 20% more to heat their homes this winter.

These energy experts - from the U.S. Dept of Energy - are estimating the average U.S. family will most likely have to spend $1,125 to heat their home this winter, an increase of about 16% over last winter.

Here is the rundown. The government forecast (as of September, 2008) for average winter heating expenditures and the percent change over last winter, for households heating with:

Natural gas – $1,017 per household, 19% increase
Heating oil – $2,524 per household, 30% increase
Propane – $1,890 per household, 13% increase
Electricity – $944 per household, 10% increase

All really welcome news for the many good people already facing budget constraints.

There is hope. You can make a few, simple steps to lessen the impact of these ever increasing heating costs. You can have lower utility bills - at least lower than your friends and neighbors who choose to do nothing. A few inexpensive home improvements will pay for themselves - some in the very first year!

Add some blow-in-insulation or other type insulation in your attic. Home improvement experts agree - that insulation pays for itself. How about a programmable thermostat? This one change can pay off this winter!

There are some simple, cost-effective measures you can take now to help you weatherize your home and realize lower utility bills this winter