How to Lower Your Electric Bill in Winter: 17 Tips (2026)

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Snow on the porch rail, soup on the stove, everyone in socks and sweaters on the couch with a movie. It’s the coziest time of year, right up until the January bill arrives. If your home heats with electricity, winter can double what you pay. The good news: most of that money leaks out through a few predictable places, and you can plug them.

In short: to lower your electric bill in winter, keep the heat you pay for inside (seal drafts, cover windows, close the fireplace damper), set the thermostat to about 68°F when you’re awake and lower when you sleep or leave (heat pumps: keep it moderate), let the sun in by day, turn the water heater to 120°F, and heat one room only when it lets you turn the whole house down.

More homes feel this every year. In 2024, 42% of U.S. households said electricity was their main heating fuel, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and for last winter EIA expected electrically heated homes to pay more to stay warm than the winter before. Electricity prices are still rising: the average residential price was 18.31 cents per kWh in July 2026, up 4.9% in a year. Here are 17 ways to spend less this winter, with the source behind each figure.

Set the heat right

1. Aim for 68°F when you’re up, lower when you sleep or leave

The Department of Energy (DOE) suggests setting the thermostat to around 68 to 70°F while you’re awake and lower while you’re asleep or away. Turning it back 7 to 10°F for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling, DOE says, and the percentage is bigger in milder climates. Keep pets comfortable, and talk to your doctor about safe indoor temperatures if someone at home is elderly, very young or ill.

2. Don’t believe the “it works harder to warm back up” myth

DOE calls it a common misconception. A house loses heat more slowly the cooler it is inside, so the longer it sits at the lower setting, the more energy you save. A programmable or smart thermostat can bring the temperature back up before you wake or get home.

3. Heat pump? Keep it steady and watch the backup heat

Heat pumps are the exception. DOE says setting back a heat pump in heating mode can make it run inefficiently and cancel the savings, so a moderate, steady setting is usually cheapest, unless you have a thermostat designed for heat pumps that limits the backup heat. That backup is electric resistance “strip” heat, and it costs far more to run: DOE notes that many heat pump controls are wired to switch it on whenever the thermostat is raised by more than 3°F, even in mild weather. If you see “aux” or “emergency heat” on the display often when it isn’t very cold, ask your HVAC contractor to check the wiring and settings. See best smart thermostat for a heat pump.

4. Reverse your ceiling fans

DOE says to switch ceiling fans to clockwise on low speed in winter to push warm air from the ceiling back down to where you sit. It helps most in rooms with high ceilings.

5. Change the furnace or heat pump filter monthly

DOE’s winter tips say to replace furnace and heat pump filters once a month or as needed, and to schedule routine service for the heating system. ENERGY STAR adds that a dirty filter raises energy costs and can damage the equipment.

Keep the heat inside

6. Seal drafts around doors, windows and pipes

DOE’s list of usual leaks: gaps where pipes and wires go through walls, around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings, behind cupboards and closets, and around doors and windows. Caulk the fixed gaps and weatherstrip anything that moves. ENERGY STAR estimates that air sealing plus insulation saves an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs, or 11% of total energy costs.

7. Put clear film on drafty windows

About 30% of a home’s heating energy is lost through windows, according to DOE. For winter, it suggests taping clear plastic film to the inside of window frames, sealed tightly to cut air leakage. Shrink-film kits like the 3M and Duck kits below go up with double-sided tape and a hair dryer and come off in spring. See best window insulation film.

8. Close insulating curtains and shades at night

DOE says most ordinary drapes, closed in cold weather, can reduce heat loss from a warm room by up to 10%, and tightly fitted cellular shades can cut heat loss through windows by 40% or more, about 10% in heating energy savings.

9. Let the sun in during the day

Free heat: DOE says to open curtains on south-facing windows during the day and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold glass.

10. Close the fireplace damper

An open damper is “like keeping a window wide open” in winter, says DOE. Keep it closed unless a fire is burning. If you never use the fireplace, plug and seal the flue.

11. Top up the attic insulation

Heat rises, and in many older homes it walks straight out through a thin attic floor. Seal the attic’s air leaks first, then add insulation; many homeowners do it themselves with rolls or rented blowing machines. See best DIY attic insulation.

Heat smarter

12. Use a space heater only to heat less of the house

Every 1,500 W electric space heater turns electricity into heat at the same rate, whatever the box says; an oil-filled radiator just releases it more gently. At 18.31 cents per kWh, one costs about 27 cents an hour on high, or about $2.20 for an 8-hour evening (our estimate). That saves money only if you turn the central heat down and warm just the room you’re in. It costs more if you add it on top. Follow the U.S. Fire Administration: keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away and turn space heaters off when you leave the room or go to bed. See best space heater for a low electric bill.

13. Put baseboard heaters on smart thermostats

Electric baseboards are often run by a dial on the heater or a basic wall thermostat, with no schedule. DOE notes they need line-voltage thermostats that switch 120 or 240 V circuits directly. A smart line-voltage thermostat such as the Mysa for electric baseboard adds room-by-room schedules. Line-voltage wiring is a job for a licensed electrician.

14. When resistance heat wears out, look at a heat pump

DOE explains that a heat pump rated 10.3 HSPF delivers 10,300 Btu of heat per kWh, while electric resistance heat delivers only about 3,400 Btu per kWh. In a Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships study cited by DOE, cold-climate heat pumps saved around 3,000 kWh a year compared with resistance heating. Installation is a job for a licensed HVAC pro, with a permit where required. There is no federal tax credit for heat pumps installed in 2026 (25C ended after 2025), so check state and utility rebates. Start at our heat pumps guide and best heat pumps for cold climates.

Hot water, lights and the bill

15. Turn the water heater to 120°F and wash in cold

Winter’s colder incoming water makes your water heater work harder. DOE recommends the 120°F “warm” setting, which also helps avoid scalding. ENERGY STAR says about 90% of a washer’s energy goes to heating water, so cold-water laundry helps all year. See best heat pump water heaters if your electric tank is near the end of its life.

16. Use LEDs, including holiday lights

Winter evenings are long, so lights run more. DOE says LEDs use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs, and recommends LED holiday light strings to cut decorating costs. Put outdoor displays on a timer. See best LED light bulbs.

17. Get help before the bill gets ahead of you

Ask your utility about budget billing, which spreads winter peaks across the year, and about payment plans. If money is tight, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can help pay heating bills or cover emergency services in an energy crisis, and the Weatherization Assistance Program pays for home improvements that cut energy costs (USA.gov). Apply through your state’s office; USA.gov’s help line is 1-844-USAGOV1 (1-844-872-4681). Check our home energy rebates guide for state and utility programs.

Our top picks for a cheaper winter

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

• 3M Window Insulator Kit: clear shrink film for five standard 3 x 5 ft windows; 3M also sells a patio-door kit.
• Duck 10-Window Kit: a 62 x 420 in roll and 168 ft of tape, enough for ten 3 x 5 ft windows if you have a whole house of drafty glass.
• Frost King R338H: self-stick foam for doors and window sashes with small gaps. Cheap, fast and easy to replace each fall.
• ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced: ENERGY STAR certified, with an occupancy sensor so setbacks happen when the house is empty. Check that your system’s wiring is compatible first.
• Mysa for Electric Baseboard V2: replaces the wall thermostat on a 120-240 V baseboard or fan-forced heater; have a licensed electrician do the line-voltage wiring.

Check the 3M Window Insulator Kit price on Amazon

Check the Duck 10-Window Kit price on Amazon

Check the Frost King weatherseal price on Amazon

Check the ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced price on Amazon

Check the Mysa baseboard thermostat price on Amazon

Keep exploring: our main guide, how to lower your electric bill, covers the whole year; the summer version is how to lower your electric bill in summer. See the best thermostat settings for winter, phantom power and our smart thermostats guide. Winter storms knock out power: see portable power stations and home generators. All our saving tips are in Energy Saving Tips; for the science, read thermal energy and geothermal energy.

Winter electric bill questions

What is the best thermostat setting for winter?

DOE suggests around 68 to 70°F while you’re awake and home, and lower while you’re asleep or away. Turning it back 7 to 10°F for 8 hours a day can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling. With a heat pump, keep setbacks small or use a thermostat designed for heat pumps.

Why is my electric bill so high in winter?

If you heat with electricity, heating is likely the biggest part of the bill; 42% of U.S. households heated mainly with electricity in 2024 (EIA). Electric resistance heat (baseboards, electric furnaces, space heaters, heat pump backup strips) is the most expensive kind. Longer nights, colder water for the water heater and higher prices add to it.

Is it cheaper to use a space heater or central heat?

Only if the space heater lets you turn the central heat down. A 1,500 W heater costs about 27 cents an hour at July 2026’s average U.S. price (our estimate). Heating one room while the rest of the house stays cool can cost less than heating everything; running both costs more. Never leave one on while you sleep or are out of the room.

Does window plastic really help?

Yes, on drafty single-pane or leaky windows. DOE recommends clear plastic film sealed tightly to the inside of window frames in winter to cut air leakage, and says about 30% of a home’s heating energy is lost through windows. On tight, modern double-pane windows the gain is smaller; seal leaks and close curtains at night first.

Should I turn the heat off when I leave for the day?

Turn it down, not off. DOE says setbacks save energy because a cooler house loses heat more slowly, but in freezing weather you need enough heat to protect pipes and pets. With a heat pump, keep the setback small so the costly backup heat doesn’t kick in when you come home.