THE big chill does not have to mean a big bill.Beating the winter blues this year can be as easy as following a few hot tips, and with more and more Australian's becoming concerned about the cost of heating, even the simplest of things can help minimise a power bill this winter. According to the results of a recent survey conducted by energy comparison website GoSwitch, 92 per cent of Australia's are this year more worried about the cost of their power bills compared to 12 months ago. Since 2008 heating costs have had a huge spike in price ? as much as 50 per cent and more ? due to a number of reasons, including higher electricity prices in the wholesale market and costs to upgrade the NSW electricity grid. Meaning most average Australian families are feeling the pinch.The GoSwitch national survey also found that 62 per cent of people asked would use as little heating as possible due to energy costs."It's quite shocking to see just how worried people are about affording basic utilities like electricity and gas this winter. This obviously shows the impact the tough economic climate is having on household budgets," GoSwitch CEO Ben Freund said.But, reducing power costs should not force people out into the cold."In many cases if consumers take a few simple steps they can actually reduce their energy costs without making sacrifices to their lifestyle," Ben said.n Continued: Page 14