(NAPS)—Making smart decisions can have a big impact on your heating bills.

That’s a good thing, since, according to the Department of Energy, homeowners can expect to spend an average of $1,442 on heating bills this year, and with the turbulent economy and rising energy costs, most people are closely watching their dollars these days. Here are two low-cost tips to help you take the chill out of your house—and a bite out of your heating bills:

1. Use a programmable thermostat. With a programmable thermostat, you can set the temperature higher for when you are home and awake, and lower at night when you are sleeping or for when you are away. “Setting and forgetting” will allow the thermostat to do the work for you, and allow you to reduce heating costs when you don’t need the heat operating at full blast.

In fact, according to the Alliance to Save Energy organization, lowering your thermostat by just one degree can save you 4 percent in heating costs. Based on this information, if every household in the U.S. turned their thermostat down two degrees, they could save up to 8 percent on heating costs—depending on the type of heating and where they live. Nationally, savings could total more than $11.1 billion a year.

2. Purchase a portable heater. With portable heaters, you can turn down your central heating and save hundreds of dollars in heating bills annually. Just turn on a portable heater in the room you’re in.

To quickly and easily view how much you could save on heating costs if you turn your thermostat down and turn a portable heater on, use the free, interactive “savings calculator”at www.honeywellheat savings.com. The site also provides a guide for how to buy a portable heater, safety tips and additional energy-saving information.