Tip of the week: How to winterize your home

Program thermostats. Before temperatures drop, set thermostats at a comfortable level, such as 68 degrees. Then keep them there: It’s always more cost-efficient to maintain a temperature than to change it. If your thermostats “aren’t programmable, replace them.”

Clean house. Replace any dirty filters in your furnace and forced-air system. Doing so will let more heat in and can decrease monthly bills by 10 percent to 30 percent.

Stop drafts. To locate a draft, light a candle and move it around windows and doors. “Where it flickers, you’ve got a draft.” Use weather-stripping or caulk as needed.

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Insulate. Measure your hot-water heater for an insulating blanket. Next, cover any connecting pipes with polystyrene. “Once you insulate, the heat stays in the pipes,” and the heater doesn’t work as hard.

Source: Woman’s Day