General guidelines for keeping your home warm and efficient:

1. Have a qualified Heating and Air professional inspect your home’s ducts and cooling equipment.
2. Set your thermostat to 68°F when you’re at home and awake, and as low as 60°F when you’re asleep or awake.
3. Clean or replace furnace filters every month.
4. Clean chimney and check to see if your fireplace is working properly.
5. Seal air leaks in the attic, basement and crawlspace, and also around windows and doors.
6. Insulate inside of windows with heavy-duty, clear plastic sheets.
7. Check your attic for proper insulation. (The U.S. Department of Energy suggests a value between R-22 and R-49.)
8. Close curtains or shades at night and keep them open during the day Clean windows on the south side of your house to maximize sunlight exposure. Weather-strip doors that lead to cold or outside areas. Wrap and insulate waterlines to prevent them from freezing. Repair leaky faucets.