Although it has been a mild winter thus far, temperatures can change quickly and now is an ideal time to winterize your home. Whether you are heading out of town during the winter months, or maximizing your home’s heating system is your goal, these tips will help you stay toasty warm and safeguard your home from winter’s wrath.

Maximize Your Energy Consumption

1. Insulate Your Windows and Doors-

The average American household spends $2,000 annually on energy expenses, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Drafts can waste 5 to 30 percent of your energy use.

To maximize your heating system and minimize expenses, don’t let precious heat escape through drafty windows and doors.

Utilizing plastic film window insulation kits and installing weather-stripping around windows and doors are affordable solutions that keep the cold air out and the warm air in. Caulking and insulating gaps around windows, doors and siding also helps prevent drafts.

2. Schedule a Home Energy Audit-

To identify precisely where energy may be escaping from your home, consider scheduling an energy audit. Energy audits provide you with an assessment of your home’s energy efficiency. Many utility companies offer energy audits, which help pinpoint exactly which systems may need replacing, as well as simple repairs that can help improve your home’s energy efficiency. From helping you save money on your energy expenses, to helping you go green, energy audit can be extremely eye-opening.

3. Prevent Ice Dams–

To prevent icicles and damaging ice dams from forming, clean your gutters to ensure water can flow freely through the gutters.

In addition, keeping the entire roof the same temperature as the eaves will also help prevent ice dams from forming. Increasing ventilation, adding insulation, and sealing off air leaks that may warm the underside of the roof helps ensure a consistent temperature.

4. Install a Programmable Thermostat–

Forgetting to adjust the thermostat before bed or when you leave the house is a thing of the past thanks to programmable thermostats. With a programmable thermostat, you can automatically set the temperature and schedule your heating and cooling systems to turn on at various times throughout the day.

Programmable thermostats are available in a wide-range of price points, and start as low as $20. And by turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting, you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling costs, according to The U.S. Department of Energy.

5. Have Your Heating System Serviced–

To ensure your furnace and HVAC systems are working at peak efficiency it’s important that they are properly maintained. Scheduling an annual cleaning for your furnace can keep it functioning efficiently and will reduce energy consumption, thus saving on heating costs. Scheduling an HVAC cleaning and replacing filters also helps the system operate effectively.

From property insulating your home to safeguard it from the cold, to upgrading to more energy efficient heating systems, taking a few simple steps now can provide you with significant cost savings over time- some products even qualify for tax credits. So stay warm this winter and protect your most valuable and cherished asset- your home.