With the arrival of cooler weather, it’s time to think about ways to weatherproof your home to save energy. These tips won't cost you a lot of time or money, and they’ll go a long way toward lowering your energy bills:

● Add weather-stripping around doors and windows.

● Caulk around pipes where they penetrate walls and floor. Do this before cold weather sets in, as many caulks will not cure if installed in cold temperatures.

● Insulate hot-water pipes in unheated spaces, such as attic or crawl-space.

● Make sure all of your light bulbs are energy-efficient . They will use less electricity, compared to incandescent bulbs, even as you keep them turned on longer as the days grow shorter.

● Use exterior caulk to seal all gaps and cracks around fixtures, openings, door and window frames.

● Let the sunshine — and its warmth — in by opening drapes during the day. Close the drapes at night to help insulate the house from the cold outside air.

● Set your thermostat to 68 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night or when leaving home for an extended time. The temperature setting on heat pumps should be adjusted downward by no more than five degrees. Otherwise, the backup strip heating could activate unnecessarily.

● Replace broken window panes , seal window cracks and put weather-stripping around doors.

● Keep fireplace dampers closed when not in use. For safety, be sure the fire is out and the ashes are cold before closing damper. Consider installing a glass door because the fireplace is a major source for heat loss in the home.

● Change furnace filters regularly — once a month for standard fiberglass filters, every two or three months for newer pleated filters. Dirty filters hamper air flow and overwork the furnace.