As the days get shorter, the weather gets colder, which means it’s time to turn on the heat to keep you warm. Unfortunately, no matter if you use gas or electricity, it means rising costs at a time when you want to be saving money for the upcoming holidays. Don’t fret, there are some things you can do to keep your costs low, and still keep warm. Here are some tips most of us should be following.

Dress for Cold Weather

Just because you are indoors, doesn’t mean you should be dressing like it’s warm outside. Wearing long lounge pants or pajamas, warm slippers, and even a house coat. You’ll be surprised by how little you need the heat on if you dress appropriately.

Use the Sun

You’ll be shocked by how much opening your curtains and letting the sun shine in warms up your house. It only makes sense, after all we close the blinds and curtains during the summer to keep the sun and heat out, so do the opposite in the winter. On the sides of the house where you get good sun exposure, make sure trees and shrubs aren’t blocking the light from entering.

Install Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats allow you to set the temperature to automatically run when you aren’t home. This allows you to keep the house cooler when you are at work, and have it warm up just before you get home. You should also set it to be a little cooler when you are sleeping too. Doing this alone can help you save 10 to 12 percent of your heating bill.

Insulate Your Home

You’ll be surprised how much proper insulation can help you save money. Hire a expert to check your home, and make sure you have the right amount for your area. Some solutions can include adding blow-in insulation to your walls, laying down an attic blanket of fiberglass insulation, properly sealing all your windows and doors with new weatherstripping, and even insulating electrical boxes.

Get a Furnace Tune-Up

Most of us are guilty of skipping the yearly furnace inspection, but we really shouldn’t. Having a professional check your furnace, replace the filers and more, can be a small expense that leads to big savings. They will look over the burners, check the exhaust vents and more, to make sure everything is working efficiently.

Decorate Your House For Warmth

Having blankets and throws on your couches and chairs, using warmer blankets and duvets (including flannel sheets), laying down rugs, using thicker curtains, can all help keep you warm. Some people even bring out the electric blanket, which is much cheaper to run than a furnace.

Run Ceiling Fans in Reverse

Did you know your ceiling fan can run in reverse? Most people don’t realize the benefits of having their ceiling fans run the opposite direction, so here it is. Running it in reverse will push the warm air back down to the ground. After all heat rises. You don’t need to run the fan at full speed either, as the slower speed will help avoid unpleasant drafts.