According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, your listeners should expect to pay more this winter to heat their homes. Prices are forecast to rise by more than 40 percent for households who use heating oil, and will increase about 30 percent for natural gas and 54 percent for propane. So we’re working to get the word out to our customers ahead of the cold weather. We want to help our customers better manage their energy use.

Things customers can do NOW to save energy :

• October is Energy Efficiency Month and as the heating season approaches, there's never been a better time to take advantage of our Home Energy Solutions home energy audit. For a $50 co-pay, you'll receive weatherization services such as air sealing and duct sealing, and efficient products, like LED bulbs, to save you money and energy. On average, services are valued at $1,000 and customers save $200–$250 a year on energy bills. Plus, you’ll get a personalized report with recommendations for upgrades such as insulation and heating, cooling and water heating equipment.
• Take advantage of the Kill-a-Watt electricity usage meter which shows how much power is being used by most home devices. The Kill-a-Watt kits are available for borrowing from nearly 200 libraries around the state. A list of participating libraries can be found at Eversource.com, here.

Additional tips for keeping energy costs down in the winter:

• If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, weatherize your home now by caulking and weather-stripping all doors and windows. Use locks on windows to make them tighter and draft resistant. Insulate or increase the amount of insulation in the attic, basement and outside walls. Some common signs of air leaks include peeling paint around window or door trims or noticeable discoloration of attic insulation.
• Switch to LED lights. The energy efficient bulbs run cooler and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lights.
• Set programmable or smart thermostats as low as is comfortable when you’re home and awake, and lower when you’re sleeping or away from home. For every degree you lower your thermostat, you save about two percent off your heating bill.
• Close the fireplace damper when not in use.
• Keep shades and curtains open during the day on the south side of your home to allow solar heating. Close them at night to retain heat.
• Have your heating system serviced once a year and during the heating season, change or clean furnace filters once a month.
• Keep baseboard heaters and radiators clean, and make sure they aren’t blocked by furniture, carpets or drapes.
• Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use. Plug home electronics, such as TVs, DVD players and computers into power strips and turn off the power strips when the equipment is not in use.