It’s the holiday season, which means in just a few short weeks, winter weather will be creeping up on us, quicker than most of us would like.  The cost to keep your house nice and warm all winter long can often be quite expensive. Try some of these quick hacks before the weather gets too cold, to keep the warmth in and your heating costs low.

Close up your fireplace.
If you have a fireplace, you want to make sure that the flue is closed all the way.  You should check to make sure that you are unable to feel any breeze or cold air coming in when it’s closed.  If you want, put some glass doors around your fireplace opening as an additional way to keep the cold air out of your house.

Cover your water heater.
Take a trip to the hardware store and pick up a water heater blanket that will help to keep your water heater tank from losing heat so quickly.  It’s fairly inexpensive and will help you save some money on the heating bill.

Get a programmable thermostat.
If you don’t already have a programmable thermostat, you should consider installing one as soon as possible.  Thermostats can be set to keep the house cooler when nobody is home and warmer when there is.  There is no need to keep the house warmer when nobody is there to enjoy it!

Replace inefficient windows and doors.
Windows and doors are meant to keep the cold air out! If you can feel a draft around any of your doors, try adding a double a triple pane windows along with insulated doors and garage doors.

Change your furnace filter.
Be sure to change your furnace filters. If they are dirty, your furnace has to work harder than it needs to. Filters should be changed monthly within the heating season and should also be serviced periodically in order to make sure that its in proper working order.

Each of these small changes won’t take too much effort to put into place and can significantly decrease your heating bill, while keeping your home warm all winter long.  You’ll be the best prepared for this cold winter!

Source: msn