By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Keeping your heating bill down won’t be easy this winter. The U.S. Energy Department recently reported heating oil costs are likely to jump 22% and natural gas bills will rise an average of 10% between October 2007 and March 2008.

But there are many things you can do to keep the bills in check during these  cold months.

A perfect world
From large, inefficient “Mc-Mansions” to old, drafty houses, living space qualifies as one of the biggest energy culprits. Ely Jacobsohn, an energy efficiency expert, says you have to consider the size, age, and the number of residents of a home when determining energy efficiency.

He says a smaller, older home may waste more energy per square foot if it leaks too much air. Likewise, if only one or two people live in a huge house, it can also be a waste of energy.

“In a perfect world, people would live in multi-story, multi-unit buildings, and they could either walk or use public transportation,” Jacobsohn says.

Going green takes work
As an alternative to attempting a “perfect world,” Jacobsohn suggests several ways to make an old home more energy efficient (see “Alternatives for saving energy and money”).

But from sealing and insulating air leaks to redirecting duct work, many of the most effective alternatives require a lot of maintenance.

“Especially for older people, another benefit of going to a smaller home rather than living in a large house is fewer maintenance issues. They don’t have to deal as much with any of the upkeep, and there’s a lot less space to heat or cool,” Jacobsohn says.

Size the home to the need
Marie Dmoch, a retirement counselor at Ann’s Choice, in Warminster, Pa., says many people move to the community to escape the maintenance on their home, as well as high heating and air-conditioning bills. “Especially people who move from a four bedroom house to a  one bedroom apartment seehow much energy, money, and maintenance they save when they size their home to their needs,” she says.