Do you still have an old-style thermostat to control your furnace? Think seriously about replacing it with a new digital programmable thermostat.

We want our homes warm in the morning and evening but why should your furnace work hard to keep your home toasty warm during the day when everyone is away at work or school?

No one will notice if the temperature of your home drops at night from 20 or 21 degrees C down to 18 degrees C. You may even sleep better in a cool house and your heating cost will go down.

Buy a programmable thermostat and you will be able to set the temperature in your home for different times of the day and different days of the week. Set the thermostat to let the house cool off one hour after bed time in the evening, and to warm the house back to normal temperature one-half hour before you get out of bed in the morning. That way you save money on heating without ever stepping on a cold floor.

You can set a different schedule for the weekend when you may wake later in the mornng and go to bed later in the evening.