Winter is right around the corner, and that means higher energy bills too. During the colder, less sunny months, we tend to leave our lights on longer, which contributes to the dreaded monthly energy bill. It may not seem like it, but there is a bright side. There are a few tips to cut costs that you can get started on right now!

INSULATE: Instead of adding layers and blankets. Add insulation to your attic, basements, and crawl spaces. This is basically a blanket or another sweatshirt for your home. Make your home more comfortable and lower energy bills.

WINDOWS: Seal those bad boys up. As the air becomes colder, it can seep through the cracks into your home. Air leaks are an energy drainer. If you have cracks where the air is getting in, it’s going to happen around the clock, causing your heating system to run on overload.

INSPECTIONS: Get your furnace and heating system inspected. Might not hurt to have your air ducts cleaned to get the air recirculating through your home properly. During the summer, the ducts can collect dust, fungi, bacteria, and allergens that are causing your system to run less efficiently, and you are also breathing dirty air.

FILTERS: Get those filters on a regularly changing schedule. This is crucial to your furnace. This is like food and water for us. When the furnace filters are dirty, they have to work harder to pull air through dirty filters, again causing higher energy bills.

Get on this to-do list now; that way when winter does strike, you can sit back and relax!