I know you don’t want to hear it but winter is on its way and now is the time to get prepared for it. Over the next month or so, use this list to prep your house for winter so that you can be green and pocket some change over the chilly months.

• Embrace the sun. Open your blinds and draperies so that the sun can shine into your house as much as possible. This will help heat up your house without having to turn up the furnace. We have done this two years in a row and it works great.
• Get a programmable thermostat. Set a program so that the house temperature is allowed to drop to 20 degrees C or 65 F when you are not at home as well as sleeping. This will cut your energy bill by at least 10%. We have our stat set to do this and we have trimmed a ton off of our monthly bill.
• Dress appropriately. Don’t wear thin pants, skirts, and t-shirts in this weather. Wear layers of clothes to stay warm and snuggle in. That way you can stay warm without turning up the heat. You can still be fashionable while being practical.
• Fix your air leaks. Take a lit candle and walk around your house checking your windows and doors for air leaks. If you find any, use weather stripping or caulking to fix them. Light fixtures and power outlets can also be a source of a problem so check them out too.
• Open your vents. I talked about this in last week’s post but I thought I would send out another reminder. Don’t close vents in rooms you don’t use. This just causes an air pressure imbalance which makes your furnace less efficient.
• Clean your filters. Every month, make an effort to clean and change your air filters in your furnace. This will optimize the amount of air flow you get.
• Bundle up your hot water heater. Add insulation to your water heater. This will keep heat from escaping making your heater more efficient. This can save you 9% more in addition to your your programmable thermostat savings. That’s a total of 19% just between these two fixes.

You see, going green and saving money in winter isn’t that complex. You just need to allow yourself some time to get prepared. So get out your calendar and make a date in November to prep your house for winter. The planet and your pocket will thank you.

Have I missed a tip? Please share any other winter energy saving tips you have.