With the summer months finally behind us and the cooler temperatures of Fall and Winter on their way, you may find yourself dreading those higher energy or gas bills. Granted, here in the southeastern part of NC, we don’t get the negative degree readings and piles and piles of snow, as seen in other parts of the state. However, that coastal chill from the sea is real, so here are 10 essential tips to keep you warm and toasty as cold weather descends.

1. Replace Worn Weather-Stripping

Here’s the thing: if you can clearly see daylight poking through around the corners or edges of your doors, then you’re losing heat. This isn’t exactly surprising. Stand close to your door and you’ll probably be able to feel the cold air coming in. First thing’s first: take a look at your weather stripping. If it’s peeling, loose or falling off, it’s time to replace it, which is a very cheap, easy and effective way to cut down heating costs. Caulking around cracked door frames is another inexpensive way to seal in your heat and keep the cold out.

While you’re at it, also check your door’s threshold. You can raise it if there’s too much of a gap between your door and it, or lower it if your door is constantly getting caught up on it, which can wear down weather-stripping even more.

2. Install Plastic Indoor Window Kits

Windows can be a big offender when it comes to letting heat escape. So, to add a little insulation, spring for some indoor plastic window kits. All these consist of is a simple, clear film that you essentially “shrink-wrap” to your window. If you do right, you’ll hardly even be able to see it, but you will be able to see a difference in your energy bill. Kits typically cost ~$4 or less at any hardware store and take less than 10 minutes to install yourself. When the weather warms up, the film easily peels right off.

3. Plug All Exterior Holes

Doors? Check. Windows? Check. You may have gotten two of the most obvious heat-loss culprits taken care of, but there are plenty more gaps and crevices around that you probably haven’t thought of. For instance, electrical outlets and holes for exterior-to-interior cables, pipes and and gas lines don’t always have the best insulation.

For electrical outlets, remove the cover plate and use either acrylic-latex caulk for small gaps less than ¼” thick or foam sealant for windows and doors for larger gaps. You can also invest a whopping $0.10 on foam gaskets that fit snugly around your outlets and provide an extra layer of insulation between the cover plate and any gaps behind the outlet. (*Always remember to flip your circuit break off before you do this project at home.)

As for pipes, cables and gas lines, check: under kitchen cabinets (particularly the one below your sink), behind refrigerators and stoves, and around where pipes go to hot water heaters or furnaces, in addition to the more obvious places where your cable line or gas lines are. You can fill these holes with expanding foam or, at the advice of the CDC, small pieces of steel wool secured by caulking if you want the added protection of keeping unwanted pests and critters out.

4. Check Your Ductwork

You can be losing a lot of heat via leaks in your ductwork. You might not be able to actually see all of your ductwork, but there will likely be at least a few places where it’s accessible, either in your basement or attic. Check seams and corners where ducts may have been pulled apart and aren’t connecting properly, as well as keeping an eye out for any visible holes or leaks. If you feel like tackling this work yourself, you can purchase a roll of mastic tape to seal leaks, but we recommend hiring a contractor. Even if you seal a couple of spots that you can see, there are likely to be places that you aren’t going to be able to access, and, unless you have professional experience doing home repairs, don’t want to. Putting forth a little bit of investment on professional services though, pays off in the end. You could be losing as much as 20 to 30 percent of your heat through improperly connected or leaking ductwork.

5. Upgrade Your Thermostat

Herein lies the supreme controller of your energy bill: the thermostat. Swapping out your old thermostat with one that’s programmable and energy-cognizant is the best way to go. You can opt for a programmable thermostat at a fairly low price point, at ~$25, or invest in something with a little more umph, such as the Nest Learning Thermostat. While more of an investment ($249), this thermostat promises to pay for itself in less than two years by saving you as much as 12 percent on heating and 15 percent on cooling bills.

What makes the Nest Thermostat different from a programmable thermostat is that it may know your patterns even better than you do — after a few uses, it picks up on the temperature ranges that you prefer throughout the day and, even better, makes suggestions as to how you can save even more, just by altering your thermostat a few degrees.

6. Use Your Ceiling Fan

Normally, ceiling fans are associated with the summer as an absolutely vital necessity to keeping cool — especially here in the south. However, ceiling fans can also be helpful in keeping your heat closer to the ground, and thus, you. Simply reverse the direction of the blades (which is normally a function that can be accessed by flipping a small switch on the base of the fan), and kick the fan on in a low setting. This way you can maximize the feeling and circulation of heat, without having to crank the thermostat up. This tactic is especially helpful in rooms with tall or vaulted ceilings.

7. Lock Doors & Windows

Sounds like a safety tip, which it is, but it’s also an energy tip! When you lock your doors and windows, you can feel the door or window actually shift a little bit. By doing this, you’re creating a snugger fit between window or door and the weather-stripping. Also make sure to utilize your windows by opening up the blinds or curtains on south-facing windows during the day, and keeping blinds and curtains drawn at night to provide a little insulation.

8. Remove Heat Register Blockage

To make sure you’re actually utilizing all of the heat that you’re paying for, you may need to do a little rearranging, especially if your air registers are located on the floor. Make sure to move furniture or rugs so that nothing is blocking your registers. You can also try installing an adjustable air deflector on your vents for approximately $10 or less each to help either move air out from underneath of furniture or project the air up into the room more.

9. Maintain Your HVAC System

Another way to ensure that your heating system is working to the best of its ability is to check your filters regularly and replace them every month, or as needed. Not only do clean filters simply help your system work better, but they also prevent costly damage. If you don’t feel like purchasing new filters constantly, you can always opt for washable, reusable air filters too.

10. Use Your Fireplace or Keep It Closed

A fireplace can be a great way to keep a portion of your house warm, while you dial back the thermostat a bit. Once night time rolls around, you can readjust the thermostat to warm up bedrooms more before bedtime. However, if you’re not using your fireplace, you should keep the damper shut tightly. According to Duke Energy Progress, a chimney can draw up to 20 percent of the air out of the house every hour, and heat can go up a chimney even when there’s a fire burning, so that’s why it’s best to dial it back on the heat on the thermostat when you’ve got one going.

There you have it, 10 inexpensive ways to keep you and your house a whole lot warmer this winter. Make sure to jump on some of these projects before the cold weather hits to avoid having to deal with a higher energy bill at all this season.