Every winter I wait as long as possible to turn on my heat. I bundle up in sweaters and wrap myself in blankets, but the day eventually comes when I just can’t take it any more and I have to give in and turn on the heat.

But this year, I decided to do it right. I called my energy company (BG&E) and asked the right temperatures to keep my home. They informed me that most people should keep their house between 68 and 70 degrees when they’re awake and 60 to 65 degrees when asleep. If you keep it any colder then your furnace has to work harder to heat your house up in the morning.

To make this easier, you may want to try a programmable thermostat to raise and lower your heat at preset times. Call your energy company and ask if they provide programmable thermostats or if you can get a rebate for installing one.

Here are some other ways to prepare for the cold without breaking the bank:

Don’t let your heat runaway. Check all around your house for escaping heat. Check doors, windows, fireplaces, and anyplace that you feel a draft. Close off the leaks: Caulk around your windows. Use weather stripping. Use additional insulation. You can often get rebates on products like these, so check into it.

Close the door. If you never go into your basement then don’t heat it! Close the door to keep the cold air from entering the rest of the house and the hot air from leaving.

Keep your furnace clean and happy. Make sure all of your heating equipment is in tiptop shape. Dirty filters can really reduce the efficacy of your furnace.

Turn off those ventilation fans. Bathroom ventilation fans and kitchen hood fans suck the heat right out of your house, in a little more than an hour! You’ll be amazed at how much this can affect your heating bill.

Use cold water. Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible. Also, make sure your water heater is warm; try wrapping it in an insulation blanket to keep the heat from escaping. No one is asking you to take a cold shower, but cutting down the amount of time you spend in a hot shower can really save you money.

Let the sun shine in. Open those blinds and let the sun warm your home! If it’s not sunny, then close the curtains – the heavier than better – to keep the cold out.