As the leaves change from green to gold and the temperature gets cooler, Vermonters will prepare to heat their homes for the fall and winter seasons. 

Efficiency Vermont offers the following 10 tips as a means of lowering those costs while keeping Vermont homes safe and warm.  

1. Make Your Home More Efficient. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^® contractors can perform an energy audit of your home and make recommended improvements, such as air sealing and insulation. Specially trained and certified, these pros can lower your energy costs more than a typical do-it-yourself approach can. Find a contractor and learn about financing options at our
   Home Performance with ENERGY STAR page.
   
   Low-income Vermonters can get similar services for free - learn more at www.helpforvt.org.
   
   
2. Turn Down the Thermostat.
   You can save two to three percent in energy costs for every degree you lower it (around the clock) in the winter. Lowering the heat from 72º to 65º for eight hours a day can save as much as 10 percent on annual heating costs. Try lowering the heat as everyone leaves for the day and just before going to bed. Or use a programmable thermostat; it will automatically turn the heat down and
   then have the house warm for you when you need it.
   
   
3. Keep Cold Out & Warmth In.
   First, find and seal places where air can move between the house and the attic and between the basement and outdoors. Use expanding foam to seal larger holes
   and caulk to seal small gaps. Then, see that you have sufficient, well-installed attic insulation. There's more information on air sealing and insulating in our Air Sealing and Insulation pages. Or find a professional to help, with Find a Contractor.
   
   
4. Heat Only Space You Use. Close off rooms that you don't use in the winter and that contain no water pipes or hot-water baseboard-system pipes.
   
   
5. Let the Sun Shine In. Open window coverings during the day to let in the
   warmth of the sun, and close them at night.
   
   
6. Fix Drafty Windows and Doors. Caulk around window frames and use weather stripping and door sweeps on doors. Properly adjusted windowsash locks will ensure that windows are properly shut. Use storm windows or put up interior window plastic, available in kits at hardware stores.
   
   
7. Clean Up. Keep the area near registers, radiators, air returns and baseboards clear and dust-free. Vacuum or dust radiators and baseboards often and be sure they're not blocked by furniture and carpets. Heat needs to circulate to reach all areas of the house, especially with a forced-air system.
   
   
8. Close Dampers When You're Not Using The Fireplace. An open fireplace damper pulls warm air (air you've paid to heat) from the house, even when there is no fire. Close dampers after ashes have gone cold..
   
   
9. Tune Up Your Equipment. Keep your heating and hot-water equipment regularly
   cleaned and adjusted to operate as efficiently and safely as possible.
   
   
10. Save Electricity. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY
    STAR compact fluorescent bulbs. To find out which bulbs work best where and how much you can save, visit New Bulb in Town When purchasing new
    appliances, select models with the ENERGY STAR. Home electronics and offi ce equipment use power even when they're off. Plug TVs, VCRs, fax machines, computers, printers, etc. into a power strip and just turn it off when you're not using the equipment. Or get a new, advanced power strip that automatically shuts off power to any idle equipment you want.