Tuesday, November 18, 2008 -- 9:24 a.m.

It's freezing outside, which means the heat's on inside my apartment. This is the first time in a while that I've living in a place with central heating, so I know that I have high gas bills to look forward to this winter.

One of the best things you can do for yourself if you've got central heat/air is to get a thermostat to regulate the temperature during different parts of the day. Mine is programmed to be warmest (66 degrees) between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., when people are home. At night, the temp drops to 62. And there are a few hours in the early morning that it's set somewhere in between--around 64.

If that sounds cold to you, that's because it kind of is.

But it's certainly more efficient--and cost-effective--than cranking it up to the 75 degrees I'd love to keep it at.

The only problem is, I freeze at night. I have a tiny space heater that I've had for years and years that seems to be on its way out. So I'm looking at my options right now as to how to replace it--another space heater or another blanket.

For those of you looking to keep a room warm for relatively short amounts of time, a space heater is a great way to go. Instead of heating your entire home with the gas heat, the heater allows you to warm up just the room--or the area in which you're sitting--for a little while. And it'll probably cost you less than cranking up the thermostat.

My dad had another great idea--I called him this morning after I woke up freezing, despite being under two blankets with my space heater on. He suggested an electric blanket, which uses much less electricity than a space heater because it doesn't have to warm an entire room or space. And I like the idea of waking up and going to bed under a toasty blanket. Dad, you're so smart--I think that's the winner for me.

In addition to the supplemental heating, I'm going to use a window insulation kit on the insides of my windows to keep the cold air out--and the warm air in. It doesn't look so pretty, but neither does a high gas bill.

And the best accessories to get you through the winter? Slippers and a really warm sweatshirt.

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Lowering your thermostat 1-3 degrees and driving 5-7 MPH more slowly are just a few of the small focused changes you can make to reduce your personal energy consumption.

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