Energy Prices Are Spiking—Here’s How To Cut Your Heating Bills Before the Next Storm

In the wake of a monster winter storm that dropped snow on over 245 million people, homeowners across the U.S. are shoveling themselves back to normalcy and dealing with the downstream effects of low temperatures and high precipitation. 

One of the most noticeable impacts that a winter storm has is on the cost of staying warm—both gas and electric usage rise as people crank thermostats. Ahead of this most recent storm, natural gas prices shot up due to the surge in demand. Unfortunately, this means that keeping your home heated will have short- and long-term economic effects as price hikes work their way into energy bills. 

You can never precisely predict when the next winter storm will come or what it will exactly do, but you can take steps to prepare your home and alter your habits. 

Get to know your energy usage

Before jumping headfirst into making changes, establish your baseline so you understand what you typically pay for winter heating, what your primary heating source is, and what you’ve done in the past to counter energy usage. 

First, review your previous winter bills to see how much you typically use—in energy, not in dollars. 

“My advice for reading utility bills is to ignore the dollar amount because this number is muddled by rate hikes, taxes, and fees. Focus instead on the actual fuel usage, like kWh [kilowatt-hours] of electricity or CCF [100 cubic feet] of natural gas,” says David Watkins, CEO of Watkins Heating & Cooling in Ohio. 

You may also want to consider a home energy audit, which is a professional assessment of your home's energy efficiency, to find out whether you're wasting energy and money. High-quality audits typically cost $800 to $2,000, according to Watkins, though there are more affordable options.

“Many utility companies do offer free or heavily discounted audits, so a good starting point is to check if yours provides these first,” says Watkins. “Alternatively, hiring a reputable insulation company can spot most issues like air leaks and poor insulation and make solid recommendations for your home.” Even simply reviewing a smart thermostat for spikes in usage can be helpful. 

Once you understand your normal energy usage, you can move on to making changes to reduce those numbers. 

Making behavioral changes that cost nothing

There are little changes you can make around the house and through your own behavior—which you might not think much of at first—that can make an impact on your energy consumption and costs. Even just lowering the thermostat when you’re sleeping, sometimes considered a controversial choice (especially if you get cold easily, or believe it takes more energy to heat the place up again in the morning), can help. 

“Lowering the thermostat at night in extreme cold is actually a great way to use less energy and lower your heating bills,” says Watkins. “We generally point homeowners to Energy Star’s recommended thermostat settings between 60° and 65°F while sleeping in the winter, depending on comfort. Reheating in the morning simply replaces heat that would have been lost overnight anyway, and the system does not work harder or use extra energy to recover.”

Other moves you can make include closing vents and doors in unused rooms, keeping the curtains open during the day and closed at night, lowering your water heater temperature, reversing ceiling fans to clockwise rotation to push warm air down from the ceiling, and dressing more warmly inside. These are all small steps, but their cumulative effect adds up.

“In my experience, thermostat management, closing off unused rooms, and strategic use of curtains can reduce heating costs by 10 to 15 percent,” says Phil Adkins, president of Adkins & Sons, a home improvement contractor in Michigan. 

Invest in improvements

Behavioral changes help, but the biggest savings come from addressing air leaks—the gaps and cracks where warm air escapes and cold air seeps in. These leaks don't just waste energy, they also let humidity escape, making your home feel colder and drier than the thermostat actually reads.

“In my experience, air leakage around windows and doors is the single biggest culprit of energy waste,” says Adkins. “Many homeowners don't realize that gaps and failing seals can account for 25 to 30% of heating costs, which translates to hundreds of dollars each winter depending on the home's size and local energy rates.”

There are lots of quick fixes you can make around your home, including sealing air leaks with weatherstripping or caulk, installing door draft stoppers, adding window insulation and pipe insulation, and replacing HVAC filters monthly. Even a few hundred dollars spent on these projects, says Adkins, “can deliver noticeable savings almost immediately.”

Some projects require more handiwork, such as upgrading to a smart thermostat, adding attic insulation, or installing storm windows. These projects do require more investment, but they tend to pay off fairly quickly.

“With today's energy prices, attic insulation upgrades often pay for themselves in two to four years, while HVAC tuneups can show returns within a single heating season through improved efficiency,” says Adkins. “The volatility actually makes these investments more valuable because you're locking in savings regardless of where prices go next.”

When to call a professional

While DIY improvements can take you far, there's a point where bringing in a professional makes more sense—both for safety and for maximizing your return on investment.

The most important and cost-effective step you can take is scheduling an annual HVAC tuneup. These maintenance calls typically cost around $100, says Watkins, and many manufacturers actually require them to keep your system under warranty.

"During a tuneup, techs will clean and adjust the system for peak performance, verify safe operation, and catch any mechanical issues," says Watkins. "This is the absolute best way to keep your heating system running smoothly in extreme cold and reduce the risk of a breakdown. The energy savings and avoided emergency service calls more than cover the cost."

As for the line between DIY and professional work, Watkins says homeowners can handle simple tasks like replacing air filters, changing humidifier pads, and gently rinsing outdoor A/C coils with a hose. But call a pro anytime service panels need removal, or if you notice unusual noises, poor performance, or refrigerant issues.

Larger projects like blown-in wall insulation, ductwork sealing, and furnace replacement also require specialized equipment and expertise. The upfront costs are higher, but many utility companies offer rebates for HVAC upgrades and insulation projects, which can help offset the investment. The Inflation Reduction Act's federal tax credits expired in 2025, so check with your utility provider or state energy office about what rebates are currently available.

The steps you take now—whether it's weatherstripping a drafty door or scheduling an HVAC tuneup—will pay off not just during the next storm, or for this winter, but for years to come. Energy efficiency improvements reduce your monthly bills, increase your home's comfort, and can even boost resale value when it's time to sell.

You can't control when the next storm hits, but you can have an effect on how much it costs you.