1) Winterize Your Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans aren’t just for summer anymore. By flipping the little black switch that makes the fan rotate clockwise -- and keeping the fan speed set to low -- you can circulate the warm air that has risen to the ceiling all around the room. This can be a boon to folks with space heaters, wood stoves or other heating devices that don’t produce a lot of air circulation.

2) Winterize Your Fireplace

Fireplaces may look warm and inviting, but they’re notorious for wasting energy. Remember to always close the damper when the fireplace is not in use -- consider a rubber damper for a tighter seal, or install glass fireplace doors. Chimney balloons also seal up the flue, keeping warm air inside.

3) Winterize Your Furnaces and Filters

Most furnace filters need to be changed monthly during the winter. Fiberglass filters are meant to be thrown away, but since they only trap a fraction of airborne debris, consider replacing them with electronic filters or HEPA filters, which are far more effective and create less waste because they can be cleaned instead of thrown out. And if it’s been a while since your furnace had a professional tune-up, you can easily save enough money through lower energy use to pay for that bit of maintenance.

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