Staying warm this winter is likely to hit many Bermudians especially hard. With unemployment widely thought to exceed the 4.5 percent recorded in May 2009 (the most recent figures from the Department of Statistics), many of us are trying to keep a tight rein on our purses.Electricity is the power source most of us use to stay warm. Acknowledging this Belco announced recently that it would halt an approved rate increase. The reason? To help people struggling financially in this recession.Electricity is billed according to usage, but on average a local family spends a few hundred dollars a month on the service.So how can you really cut down your electricity bill? Well you need to use less power. Of course you need to stay warm also and the two can be achieved. Body & Soul compiled the following list of tips:1. Belco suggests using an electric blanket on cold nights rather than heating the whole house for the entire night. Most electric blankets are also more economical than using a space heater. NEVER use an electric blanket and a hot water bottle together.2. Belco suggests using portable electric heaters only in small areas.3. Belco suggests using a small room fan or ceiling fan to circulate and distribute heated air. When reversed, ceiling fans can push hot air from the ceiling down toward the floor.4. Don’t keep your heating systems at very high temperatures. The warmer you need a space to be, the more energy you will use to get it there and maintain it. An indoor temperature around 65F (18C) should be sufficient for most people.5. Close all your doors and windows.6. Install flaps at the base of doors or block with rolled towel or other device to keep cold out.7. Leave curtains and blinds open on sunny days. This will warm the room. At night close curtains and blinds to help retain some of the day’s heat and to block out the cold.8. Use heavy curtains. This will form a stronger barrier from the cold.9. Congregate in a smaller room. If your living room is large, use a smaller room to gather in the winter it will cost less to heat.10. Use your stove and oven. Instead of microwaving your meals use your stove and oven, it will help keep you and the kitchen warm11. Wear warm clothing indoors. Wool, flannel and acrylics are good fabric choices for keeping the body warm. And the warmer your body, the less power you’ll need to heat the room.12. Layer your clothing. Wearing a sweater on top of a shirt and under-vest, keeps you warmer because air trapped between the layers acts as insulation from the cold.13. Wear a hat. Most of us don’t do this in the house in Bermuda, but if you keep even a lightweight cap on your head, you’ll conserve about ten percent of your body heat.14. Wear socks and/or closed in slippers. Keeping your skin covered will reduce the amount of heat lost through radiation to the cooler air, or surface around you. This is why bare feet on a cold floor can send a chill up your spine.15. Be active in your house. Do exercises, housework or play physical games. Moving will help your body generate heat, which will keep you warm.16. Use warm robes, and blankets when you lounge around the house.17. Where appropriate, snuggle with family.18. Place a hot water bottle in the bed before you get in to warm it. NEVER use a hot water bottle and an electric blanket together.19. Use flannel sheets.20. Layer your bed linens. Again air trapped between the layers acts as a barrier to the cold.