When the temperatures get this low, heating your home can get expensive.
While that arctic air hangs around this week, Tracy Christensen with Metropolitan Utilities District offers up a few pieces of advise. "The most important thing they can do for safety and efficiency is to have their heating system and chimney inspected every year by a licensed contractor. Properly operating appliances actually help you lower your utility bills."
Christensen says another way to keep bills down is an easy one. "Making sure the furnace filters in your furnace are clean and you probably should replace those once a month or as needed."
In addition to maintaining your furnace, Christensen offers up a few other tips as well. "You can set you thermostat back a little bit during the winter. You lower it even a few degrees you can save on your energy bill. Checking for leaks around the house, around your windows. Making sure the fireplace damper is closed when there isn't a fire going."
If you're not sure if a window or door is drafty try this: light a candle, hold it near windows and doors and look for smoke moving in a horizontal direction. If you see that, you’ve spotted an air leak and should invest in some weather stripping.