Don’t get caught out in the cold. The near-freezing temperatures we are experiencing this week does not have to translate into higher heating bills.

Residents typically use three to seven times more natural gas for space and water heating during the winter months. While natural gas is the most affordable way to heat our homes, there are simple steps you can take to reduce heating costs.

To reduce your natural gas use, you can take simple steps, like setting your thermostat to 68 degrees when home and 55 degrees when not home.

Other helpful tips include:

• Washing clothes with cold water
• Taking shorter hot showers
• Reducing the temperature on water heaters (The recommended setting is 120°F);
• Running only full loads of dishes and clothes
• Using low-flow shower heads
• Keeping windows and doors closed when the heater is on; and
• Dressing warmer
• Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan blades from counterclockwise to clockwise, so they help to push warm air down from the ceiling toward the floor.

You can easily monitor your energy use by signing up for My Account. Use the Energy Management Tool on My Account to sign up for energy alerts to receive email or text alerts when your energy use or spending goal reaches a certain limit.

Click here for more ways to save energy and money.