HELPFUL HINTS

LITTLE ROCK — DEAR READERS: Everyone wants to save money, especially on monthly utilities during a cold winter.

Here are five hints to help you save money on your utility bill:

If your kitchen or bathroom sink doesn’t have separate faucets for hot and cold, use cold when you can. Cold water works for most uses. Hot water uses electricity or gas to heat, so use only when absolutely necessary. Did you know that energy is used even if the hot never reaches the faucet?

Check the pilot light on gas appliances. If it is blue, then it is working properly. If the flame is any other color, contact a professional immediately. An improperly working gas appliance can be dangerous, an energy waster and even deadly!

Put a lid on a pot when you need to boil water or another dish. The liquid boils faster this way, which saves time and energy.

Electric stove burners stay hot a while even after they have been turned off. So turn off the stove a minute or so early to save energy.

Using a toaster oven instead of an oven can save energy, too. So, if you have only one or two potatoes or a small meatloaf, use the toaster oven.

DEAR HELOISE: I love to feed the birds, and after years of pulling the “sunflower” shoots that sprouted under my feeder, I got a brainstorm.

I purchased a hard-sided kiddie pool, drilled some holes in the bottom so that rain would drain out, and “nailed” it to the ground. I now have the seeds that fall from the feeder contained in the “pool.” Voila - no more sprouting “sunflowers.” This is a very inexpensive way to catch the seeds, and it also allows the ground-feeding birds and squirrels access to food.

• Janice Ferry, Youngstown, Ohio

DEAR HELOISE: I line my votive candle holders with an aluminum cupcake liner, so when the candle has burned down, I simply remove the liner and either dispose of it or, if I can, peel off the wax and reuse the liner. This way, my candle holders stay clean.

• Jennifer in Bay City, Mich.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000;

fax to (210) 435-6473; or e-mail [email protected]