Block Heaters
 Those of you who drive in the northern hinterlands have probably been plugging your cars into block heaters to make sure they start on those 20 below mornings. They draw on a lot of power to work their magic, though, so take these steps to limit the damage to your electric bill.
When I was growing up in North Dakota (yes, people actually live there), my parents would plug in their cars in the garage when they got home in the evening. The next morning they would flip the switch that started the current flowing to the garage from our kitchen in their fuzzy slippers and robes. This was an ideal arrangement as cars really only need about half an hour on the heater to warm up sufficiently.
If you don't have such a convenient set-up as my parents, you could get a timer to turn on the heater a half-hour before you leave. Or you could pull on the boots, parka, mitts and hat to go outside to plug the car in at the right time. Me, I would go with the timer. My parents taught me a few things.
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