Money Matters - Energy Bills Survey

 Winter is coming and Americans are getting ready. 

According to a nationwide survey by HOP Energy, the majority of Americans will be kicking on the heat this month (only hearty New Englanders wait until November). 1 in 4 Americans are getting ready for the winter weather by winterizing their homes and plan to spend hundreds getting ready. 

• Top winterizing projects: Inspecting heating systems, plastic insulation on windows, door sweeps, gutter cleaning & weather stripping
• New Englanders will spend the most winterizing ($605), followed by the South ($515) and Mid-Atlantic ($336)
• 53% will keep their homes cooler than their preferred temperature to try and save money
• 65% will bundle up in warm clothing instead of turning up the heat

It could be because almost two in five Americans have higher than expected energy bills in the winter. 1 in 3 Americans are struggling to pay their energy bills and 67% are trying to save on energy costs this year. The top ways they're cutting costs include using energy efficient light bulbs, unplugging items not in use and setting the washing machine to cold.