Sheldon, Iowa — While lows in the single digits are somewhat normal for December, the warmer temperatures we’d been having make this seem like a cold snap. And when we think about cold weather — and since energy prices will probably be higher this winter — now might be a good time to get a refresher on energy (and money) saving tips.

MidAmerican Energy serves the city of Sheldon as well as other places in northwest Iowa with natural gas service. Geoff Greenwood is their spokesperson. He tells us how we can all save money on heating costs. He gave us a few tips on how to keep your heating bills low this winter. He says they suggest lowering the setpoint on your thermostat, especially when you’re sleeping or not at home — but if you can throw on a sweater, you may be able to turn it down when you’re home too.

Greenwood says there’s a way to make that even easier if you’re willing to spend a little money to save some money — a programmable thermostat or a “smart” thermostat.

According to Greenwood, another thing you can do is keep your window treatments open during sunny days, especially any windows that you have that face south. As he puts it, that’s “free heat from the sun.” He says to make sure your heat registers are not blocked by furniture, rugs, or drapes. Greenwood tells us you can also check your windows and doors for drafts and caulk or weatherstrip them or replace them if they’re too inefficient. Also, make sure to keep your fireplace damper closed when you’re not using the fireplace, and look into tempered glass doors if your fireplace doesn’t have them.

Insulation is another way to hold in the heat, according to Greenwood.

Find out more information including a link to complete your own home energy assessment at midamericanenergy.com.