Heating your home during the winter months can be expensive. We can’t control the weather - but we can take steps to shave a few dollars off our winter utility bills.

Winterize your home with these tips:

• Find and cover air leaks. Check your doors, windows, fireplace dampers, and mail slots for leaks that could let in cold air. Plug any leaks with plastic sheets, towels, or caulk – whatever you have readily available!
  
  
• Clean your gutters. Your gutters have the important job of directing snow and rainwater away from your roof. Make sure your gutters are clean before the first snowfall to prevent water seeping into your house and causing damage you’ll have to pay for!
  
• Put your ceiling fan in reverse. During cold spells, warm air rises and settles by the ceiling. Set your fan to spin reverse and run it on its lowest setting to push that warm air back down and around your house.  
  
• Turn your thermostat down when you’re not at home. Turning your thermostat down a few degrees while you’re sleeping or out of the house is a great way to shave a few bucks off your energy bill. Just make sure your pets aren’t too chilly!
  
  TIP: Programmable thermostats allow you to automatically set when the temperature moves up and down each day, so you’ll never forget.
  
• Let the sunlight in! Open the curtains on south-facing windows during the day to let the warm sunlight in. At night, close the curtains to keep out the chill from cold windows.
  
• Keep your heating system in tip-top shape. Every year before the winter season, make sure to get your heating system inspected or serviced – and replace filters as needed.
  
  If your heating system is more than 15 years old, it may also be time to consider a replacement, as newer systems are much more energy efficient.