Greensboro, North Carolina-According to a recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, heating bills have risen with the arrival of winter. Whether you use natural gas, electricity or oil for heating, Consumer Reports will reveal some money-saving tips to help you reduce your high heating bills.

Your HVAC system uses the most energy in your home, and it is important to ensure that everything runs efficiently without wasting fuel. This usually requires professional maintenance at least once a year, but there are some things you can do on your own.

When they become dirty, the equipment must work harder, so please clean and replace them regularly.

Don't let the warm air you pay for leaking outside.

"You can easily install weather strips and windshields around doors and windows to seal warm air. For larger gaps, please use foam. Cold air can enter through outlets on the outer wall, so please insert some foam outlets to seal Agent," Dan Wrocklowski said in Consumer Reports. 

And consider installing a smart thermostat. They save energy by lowering the temperature when you are asleep or away. In fact, many of them use sensors and your phone’s location data to "learn" your daily life and adjust your home's temperature accordingly.

Adding an extra blanket to your bed and lowering the thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees overnight can reduce your heating costs by 10%.

For more savings, please consult your utility company. It may provide rebates and incentives for some energy upgrades.

Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks joined 2WTK earlier this week and talked about space heaters.

"They actually consume more electricity. You need to be careful when using space heaters. Use them for short periods of time when you need them. It's better not to leave them on all night, just close the door of the room to keep the heating. Your bill will increase," Brooks said.

If you have not already done so, CR recommends that you reverse the direction of the ceiling fan so that the blades push the warm air down from the top of the room.

You can turn off notifications at any time in the browser settings.