For most families, winter means higher heating bills. Here are 5 free or inexpensive ways to save money while staying warm!

1. Use ceiling fans to circulate air. Heat rises, so warmth can get stuck up high near the ceiling. Turn your fan on low, circulating air up toward the ceiling. This will push warmer air down, making your space feel warmer and allowing you to turn the thermostat down a degree or two. And each degree you can lower your thermostat is money saved!

2. Don’t heat a room you don’t use. Have a storage room connected to the HVAC system in your home? If you won’t be in the room, why spend money heating it? Close the vent and shut the door, and you’ll be paying to heat one less room.

3. Regularly change the air filter in your furnace. Not only will a fresh filter improve the air quality in your home, but it can also save you money. A clean filter means your furnace can push air through your HVAC system easier, allowing it to work less hard. Over the long run, regularly replacing the air filter will lengthen your furnace’s life.

4. Make sure all the air vents in your home are unobstructed. Sometimes a rug, sofa, shelf, or other items can block the air input or output vents, making your heater less efficient. This can lead to higher thermostat settings and lost money. So make sure to check that all your vents are clear!

5. Have a fireplace you aren’t actively using? An open chimney flue is like an open window – you’re losing significant amounts of heat and causing your heater to work overtime to keep your house warm. By closing the flue when your chimney is not in use, you prevent hot air from escaping up the chimney and save money on your heating bills!