Tips and tricks to help keep your home warm on a budget

Its winter and it is freezing outside! So I’ll bet you're spending most of your time indoors, but are you really keeping all that heat in there with you? I’ve gathered a few tips and tricks to help you keep your home warm, especially if you’re on a budget this season.

First, dodge those drafts. According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, drafts can waste 5% to 30% of your energy use. So you’ll want to get these drafts coming in from outside covered up and a draft guard for under the door will do the trick.

Another tip, replace furnace filters. If you have a dirty filter, you’re actually restricting airflow and increasing energy demand.

Now, just by installing storm doors and windows, you can increase your energy efficiency by 45 percent. Seem costly? Remember, it’s saving you energy for not only for this season, but many seasons to come.

Now, run your ceiling fans in reverse. Warm air travels up, so if you switch from counterclockwise to clockwise, the warm air is circulated back downward.

Lastly, mind that thermostat. If you’re leaving for a while, lower it a little, because that’s where about 50 to 70% of your energy budgets.