As heating and electric bills rise, conservation is getting new attention. I have a few practices I’d like to pass along:

. Use CFL light bulbs. These will drop a power bill $5 to $10 a month depending on usage. That’s $60 to $120 a year.

. Turn the electric water heater off when not in use – this saves me $60 a month. That’s $720 a year.

. Buy emergency reflective blankets. If you place one between the mattress and fitted sheet it will reflect your body heat back allowing you to comfortably turn the heat back. (Do not use this method with small children.) They can be purchased in the Wal-Mart camping section for about $3.

. Place a pan of snow in the refrigerator. It will release cold reducing the running time.

. Remove the tailgate of your pick-up truck. This makes for less drag on the body making gas mileage go up.

Maria Smith

Lagrange