Start planning now to keep from being left in cold next year

Winter is ending, but heating costs probably still have you shivering. The good news is that it’s warming up. The bad news is that prices won’t be much better next year. So, like the parable of “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” start planning now so you won’t, like the grasshopper, fiddle around and be out in the cold next winter.

Conduct an energy audit to detect waste and gauge the efficiency of your heating system. Your utility company may offer free or low-cost energy audits, or you can conduct your own. The U.S. Department of Energy offers instructions at www.homeenergysaver.lbl.gov.

The home “walk-through” may help you spot needed maintenance or problems that, if fixed, could save you money. For example:

. Check your attic, attic stairway, attached garage walls and basement to make sure your home is insulated to DOE-recommended levels. When inspecting or buying insulation products, check R-values. The higher the R-value, the better the insulating power.

. Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket.

. Schedule a tune-up for your furnace or boiler.

. Hire a professional to seal and insulate leaky ducts, and to ensure that your airflow distribution system is operating at peak efficiency.

. Clean or replace filters on forced-air furnaces, seal flues in fireplaces you don’t use, install drapes or some other covering on windows, and seal holes around plumbing and heating pipes.

. Install a programmable thermostat that will automatically lower nighttime temperatures.

. Check caulking and weatherstripping, and repair where necessary.

. Close your foundation vents in the winter if there’s a crawl space under your home.

. Plan now to determine which doors to areas that you don’t use may be closed.

. Install ceiling fans. Downward air circulation promotes heating efficiency.

. When buying a new furnace, boiler, water heater, or other appliance, consider a high-efficiency model. While energy-efficient appliances may cost more, they may save you money in the long run. To compare models, check the black and yellow Energy Guide labels. The labels provide information about energy use or efficiency and estimated annual operating costs.

. Shop around for the best prices on oil and gas, if you live in an area that lets you choose your natural gas provider.

. Ask your utility or oil company about a budget plan to protect against unexpected price increases. Your provider takes the amount of energy you use and divides it into equal monthly payments.

. If you’re on a fixed income and have trouble paying your utility bills, contact your utility company. The company, the state, or your municipality may have energy assistance plans to help you pay your heating bills.

. When energy prices rise, so does advertising for a host of energy-saving products and services, including some that are overpriced or just plain bogus. Be wary of devices, gadgets, and energy-saving products that promise drastic reductions in home heating costs or extreme energy savings.

Read claims carefully and get independent information about product performance. Avoid unsolicited door-to-door sales calls and high-pressure sales pitches from contractors offering furnaces, windows, roofing, and other home improvement projects.

To make sure that a contractor is licensed and reputable, ask friends and neighbors for referrals, ask the contractor for customer references, and check out potential contractors with Northeast COMBAT and your state licensing agency. The FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives you three business days to cancel a contract if you sign it in your home or at a location other than the contractor’s permanent place of business.

Now be good little “ants” and, because Maine is the way life should be, you might also want to warn the “grasshoppers” you know.

Consumer Forum is a collaborative effort of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT. Send questions to Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, Maine 04402-1329. COMBAT is a nonprofit organization with annual dues of $10.

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