October is Energy Awareness Month, and with fall slowly creeping in, it’s a good time to assess your home to make sure you’re ready for the season’s cooler temperatures. According to the US Department of Energy, space heating is typically the largest energy expense in the average American home, responsible for 42% of residential energy bills.

With that in mind, take a few easy steps to help make sure that you’re not burning through your heating budget, and that the heat—and your money—is staying inside of your home.

Check for leaks

The fastest and most cost-effective way to reduce energy usage is to improve your home’s insulation by finding and sealing leaks. Grab some caulk and weatherstripping and see where your home may need to be sealed.

Look out for drafty doors and windows. Apply weatherstripping to the base of doors where you can feel cool air creeping in, and caulk windows that leak air. For single-pane windows, consider installing storm windows to help provide additional insulation to these thin spots in your home.

Other common leaky areas include dropped ceilings, recessed lights, attic entrances, water, and furnace flues (check your fireplace), air ducts, outlets, and switches, and plumbing and utility access.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans can keep a room cool in the summer, but did you know they can keep rooms warm during cooler fall temperatures? Set your ceiling fans to turn clockwise. This pushes down warm air that has risen upward, adding heat to the room without raising the thermostat.

Maintain your system

Dirty air filter could make your heating system work harder to push air throughout your home. Try to clean or replace your air filters as recommended to help boost the performance of your heating system.

Build new habits for the season

One of the cheapest things you may be able to do to reduce your home energy use is to change your own behavior. As we enter the fall months, remind yourself to:

• Keep curtains and shades on any south-facing windows open during the day. This allows sunlight into your home, which provides free heating via radiant energy. Remember to close them at night, however, to keep the heat inside.
• You can also lower your thermostat during the day, particularly when you’re not at home. Before you leave for school or work, set your thermostat back at least 8°F from where you comfortably have it while at home. Our Smart Device Plans include smart thermostats  that can help you set schedules and help you manage your electricity usage.
• You can also reduce your heating use while you’re at home, but asleep. When you’re in bed under the covers, you can comfortably turn down your thermostat between 5 and 8°F, helping to save money and energy while you do some recharging of your own.

Learn more about Frontier’s variety of low-price plans and get your best electricity deal. Plus enjoy a smooth, zero-hassle experience and convenient tools to keep your costs and usage low.

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