A lot of homeowners think that simply turning off the heat once the warm weather comes is the only thing needed to reduce energy costs. Not so. There are a multitude of simple measures any homeowner can take, no matter what the temperature is outside. The end goal is to lower the overall costs of living in your home, not just the heating bill.

First, take a look at your windows. Are they pre-1990? Are there signs of condensation build up around sills? Looking at both the inside and the outside, are there cracks around the window frames? An easy way to stop cold/hot air from entering your home is to fill any cracks around the interior and exterior of your windows. If your windows are more than ten years old, they will not be as efficient as those with newer technology. Replacement is best, but if your budget does not allow for their replacement and cold weather is on its way, consider a do-it-yourself window insulator kit. The kit will include double-sided tape and thick plastic. Installation is easy and it will help stop cold air infiltration, thus reducing your heating bills.

The one thing in your home that has the largest impact on the total ambiance of your living space is insulation. The kind of substance that lines your walls, roof, ceilings and attic can make the difference between a $500 heating/cooling bill or a $50 one. If you have insulation between every floor and your attic is fully insulated, then chances are the noise pollution and the heating/cooling levels are not too bad. But take a close look at how the material covers the space, particularly in the attic, around doors and windows, and in your soffits. Is every gap and crack filled or sealed up? Batt and blanket insulation cannot possibly fill every crevice, neither can blown-in products. The only type of insulation that can block up every point of air infiltration in your home is spray foam insulation. With the cold air kept from leaking into your house, heating costs will be greatly reduced. The same is true in warm months for cooling costs. Upgrading the insulation in your home is the one thing that will have the greatest impact on your utility costs.

Now look at the outer doors in your home. Is the weather stripping still stopping up all the gaps? Or is it dry and cracked? What about the door sweep? These are very simple things to replace, but make a huge difference in the ambiance of your home. Also, if there is an interior area of your home that is rarely used, such as a basement, sunroom, or solarium, consider putting a door sweep on the door as well. Rooms that are rarely used and left unheated can leak cold air into the rest of the house. Rolling up an old towel or blanket and blocking up the gap under the door will work as well. Be sure to air out the room once in awhile though, to avoid a musty smell building up.

If you have a wood stove or fireplace insert, use it to heat your home in winter. The cost of firewood for one winter is a lot less than heating your home with electric, gas or oil. If you have an open fireplace, it is best to put the fire out before going to bed. Also, make sure to have your chimney swept annually to prevent smoke inhalation and chimney fires. If your home is heated with a furnace, have your ducting cleaned each year as well. Build up of dust, pet dander and other debris can cause your ducting to become blocked and therefore your furnace will not blow efficiently. There are even new duct elbows on the market that enable a more effective flow of air around corners in ducting.

There are many other things homeowners can do to make reduce their utility bills, some as simple as unplugging appliances when they are not in use. The coffee maker, nightlights, electronics, the microwave, phone chargers and lamps can all be unplugged. The difference to your electrical bill will amaze you. Even putting an extra blanket on the bed and turning the heat off at night will make a difference. In the summer, keep a metal bowl of ice beside the bed to cool the room while you sleep instead of running the air conditioning all night. Whether you decide to go all out and replace windows or just take small measures for now, your utility bills will be reduced a significant amount.