Latest news, weather and high school sports for Albany and Southwest Georgia

Thursday, October 04, 2012  Updated with video; Ben Hill County commissioners have been cutting back their budget to stay afloat, but a Georgia House bill passed this year might take even more out of their budget.

Thursday, June 07, 2012  More than a summer break, poll finds Americans want a break on their energy bills

Thursday, July 07, 2011  During the summertime most people notice a spike in their energy bills and officials say there is something you can do to offset the cost.

Thursday, June 02, 2011  A program that set out to help young men grow into responsibility is now saving dollars for parents and the Boys and Girls Club.

Monday, October 18, 2010  As you probably realize the numbers you choose for your thermostat settings will affect the numbers you see on your energy bill this winter so let's start there when preparing for the cooler weather to come.  For thermostats, automatic programmable is the way to go.  These electronic devices can regulate your heating during different parts of the day.  If you have a manual thermostat set it between 68°and 70° and even lower when you are away or during the nighttime.  The lower the thermostat setting the better but you still need to keep your family comfortable and there ways to do both.  With night time temperatures dropping off more and more it may be time to put and extra blanket on that bed to keep you toasty.  Along those same lines you may want to start to dress warmer around the house wear some sox or slippers and save some money and energy just by dressing a little warmer.  Dressing warmer around the house is good but make sure your house is also dressed for the season.  Add insulation, seal cracks, seal drier vents and even make sure that fireplace chimney isn't pouring cold air into your house.  Our windows are another concern when it comes to keeping your house comfortable for less year round.  New energy efficient windows can be pricey to install but can be worth the expense in the long run.  Now if you have older single pane windows you may want to consider window shrink film to help seal them up.  This film is fairly easy to install and you could do your whole house or just certain windows like in the living room or bedrooms to cut down on drafts.  Another type of window covering to consider is drapes.  Drapes and curtains can help insulate your windows but this time of year make sure to keep those open during the day to let in sunlight and allow natural heating of your house.  Now there may be other great ideas to save energy and save money this winter but these should be enough to give you a warm feeling by going green.  For this week’s Go Green, I’m Mike Morrison FOX 31 news.