Many UW-Platteville students live off-campus, including myself. Most of us know that utilities costs go up in the winter, sometimes because a furnace is heating our homes. The hike in prices is unavoidable, but there are ways to lower these expenses.

First, go around the house or apartment and make sure that the windows are closed tightly, as well as locked. Then buy some window plastic and seal off windows and unused patio doors for the winter. This may not seem like much, but if the windows are older or were installed improperly, there are air leaks around the edges and in the cracks that allow for cool air to blow through.

Secondly, check the front door. When older houses settle, the door frames sometimes do not fit the front door the way it should, leaving cracks for cold air. You can fix this with a roll of one sided foam tape; putting it around the door frame will create a tighter seal.

In addition to sealing off windows and doors, avoid using a space heater. Although manufacturers claim space heaters are energy efficient, this is usually not the case. Even though they have an internal thermostat and stop running when the room is warm, they are always drawing electricity.

Next, lower your thermostat. Keeping the thermostat around 60 to 65 degrees will keep your house reasonably warm and the furnace will not run as often. Do not go lower than 60 degrees, however, because this may cause pipes to freeze. Also, make sure that all vents are unobstructed; this will allow the hot air to circulate more efficiently.

Lastly, a refrigerator uses approximately 10 percent of the energy in a home because it has to run all the time. To save energy, clean the coils behind it. These coils remove the heat from your refrigerator. If there is a thick layer of dust covering them, it prevents them from doing their job efficiently.

Various Web sites offer great energy saving tips. Government sites like eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/ and energy.gov/energysavingtips.htm are good places to start. If you follow just a few simple rules, you will find a lower energy bill in your mailbox next month.