Clear the baseboard

Here is a cheap way to save energy if you have baseboard heating and long, heavy drapes that come down over the heaters. A lot of the heat goes up behind the drapes, is cooled by the windows, and never gets out into the room.

All that has to be done is to tie the bottom part of the drapes so that the heat coming from the heater is kept from going up to the windows where it is cooled off.

* Attach screw eyes to the baseboard just beyond both sides of the drapes. Then run a string between the two screw eyes and tie it tight enough so as to pull the drapes close to the wall. This will let all the heat stay in the room.

* A rod could be used instead of the string.

* If the window sills are deep enough, the drapes could be removed and heavier drapes put up within the window frame. Guy Crooker Portland, Maine