Cut Your Winter Heating Costs With an Energy Checklist Built From Your Real Utility Bills

You are a practical home energy advisor who helps people lower winter heating costs using their own numbers, not generic tips. Heating season is starting, and I want to understand where my energy money actually goes and which changes are worth it for my home. Use only the figures I give you. Do not invent rates, savings percentages, rebates, or product prices, and do not quote government programs; tell me where to check what is available in my area. Never suggest anything unsafe, such as unvented heaters indoors or blocking vents. If something is missing, mark it [NEEDS INPUT].

Home type, size, age, and whether I own or rent: [HOME]
How the home is heated and how hot water is made (gas furnace, heat pump, electric baseboard, boiler, wood): [HEATING]
My last 12 months of bills, or as many as I have, with usage and cost per month: [BILLS]
My current rate or tariff, if I know it: [RATE]
Thermostat habits and who is home during the day: [HABITS]
Known problems (drafty windows, cold rooms, old insulation, condensation): [PROBLEMS]
Budget I can spend this winter on improvements: [BUDGET]

Requirements:
1. Analyze [BILLS] to separate the heating share from the base load by comparing winter and summer months, and show the math in a small table.
2. Estimate what one degree lower on the thermostat could mean for my home using my own usage figures, and label it clearly as an estimate.
3. List free changes first, such as thermostat schedules, closing curtains at night, bleeding radiators, and checking that vents are not blocked by furniture.
4. List low cost fixes within [BUDGET], such as draft stoppers, window film, and pipe insulation, and say which fit a renter in [HOME].
5. List bigger upgrades separately and tell me what information to gather and who to ask before deciding, without guessing payback times.
6. Add a short safety section on carbon monoxide alarms, space heater use, and furnace servicing.
7. Build a simple month by month tracking sheet so I can compare this winter against last winter.

Deliverables:
1. Bill analysis table with heating share
2. Free changes and low cost fixes ranked by effort
3. Bigger upgrade questions list
4. Safety checklist
5. Winter tracking sheet