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The heater doesn't activate the a/c compressor, which is the big power drainer. Using the heat setting especially with low fan settings should minimally impact fe- probably at an undetectable level.
I tend to like to regulate temps with the heat control on the lowest blower setting. I know some people, particularly women, like to blast that freekin fan wide open at every opportunity. The fan draws juice which must be generated, indirectly, by the engine.
There has been debate about whether it's better to leave the heat control on cold until the car warms up, or put the heat control on hot right away. Conclusion is that if the blower fan isn't causing the mass extraction of heat from the heater core, the difference is so minor as to be inconsequential. I leave the control on hot right off, with blower off, on the defrost setting, and wait until I can feel some warmth trickling out with my bare hand before bumping up the fan setting a notch or two.
All that breathing tends to fog things up so it helps to either have the window cracked open a bit or only close the door to first catch until the heat starts flowing.
Re: using the defroster: the defrost setting will activate that a/c compressor on most cars so that could be a similar loss to using a/c. But when you need it, you need it.
It helps to clear snow from the air inlet at the cowl- reduces moisture and thus fogging on the windshield. On that note, stomping the snow off your boots and shaking the floormats clean can help reduce humidity in the car too.
The gung-ho can disconnect the a/c clutch for compressor-less defrost operation. I guess I'm gung-ho as all my cars are like that. Well, really it's because the a/c is broken on all of them. That eliminates compressor operational losses. I still haven't bypassed the comps with shorter belts.
And... unless you really, seriously do fall under the severe service guidelines, you are wasting oil and money by changing it that often. It should be able to go more than twice that far between changes.
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