Weather plays a major role in energy usage. As the weather gets colder, your heating system has to work harder to maintain your thermostat setting. So the colder it gets outside, the more energy you use inside, even if you don't change your thermostat setting from one month to another.

And remember: Seasonal changes and having more people in your home during holidays and vacations can result in higher energy use.

Things you can do to stay warm and manage your energy bills

Winters in Maryland can be unpredictable and cold. As much as half of the energy used in your home goes into heating. To stay warm, your first reaction may be to raise the thermostat, which can result in some pretty high heating bills. So before you touch the dial, check out these simple tips to help you take control of your winter heating bills.

• Have your heating system inspected by a qualified contractor to be certain it is operating at peak efficiency.


• Use a programmable thermostat that's specifically designed for your heating system.


• Save energy by lowering your thermostat to 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.


• Keep heat-producing appliances (like lamps and televisions) away from the thermostat. The heat produced from them during operation can cause a false reading (resulting in your thermostat reading higher than the actual indoor temperature).


• Use fireplace doors to cut down on warm air going up the chimney. Also, avoid using your fireplace during extremely cold weather because you lose more heat up the chimney than you gain from the fire.


• If you use a window air conditioning unit, remove it during the winter season to reduce cold air drafts. If this is not possible, cover all sides of the unit to minimize warm air leakage.


• Make sure vents, cold air returns or radiators are not covered by furniture, carpet or anything that may impede proper airflow.


• Don't blow away a full house of heat! Keep warm air in and cold air out by closing and properly sealing windows and doors.


• Immediately repair broken and cracked windows no matter how small the opening.


• In winter, open window coverings during the day to let sunshine in and close them at night to keep out the cold.


• Turn off those silent energy users such as the stereo, VCR, computer, fax and scanner, or set them to automatically.