home heating

The long dark days of winter are here, bringing us cheery snowmen, cozy nights by the fire, and… sky-high heating bills. There’s nothing to be done, you think. You’ve got to heat the house, right? Well yes, but there might be a way to reduce the amount of energy you use — without resorting to three layers of sweaters and goofy wool hats.

The lights went out with a thud as the wires were pulled out of the house when an ice-laden tree fell on the line. All night long in the ice storm that hit here in the northeast last week, I heard branches and trees crashing in the woods. It would be the start of four days without power.