Keep your thermostat at or below 68 degrees. Regulating the temperature in your home is important and can save you money. Each degree that you lower the thermostat can reduce your heating costs by as much as three percent.

Find and seal leaks and drafts. Air leakage occurs because of cracks or gaps in in windows, doors and walls and can lead to higher monthly energy rates because it lets heat escape and cold air enter. Before it gets too cold, it's important to check all your doors and windows for air leakage that could keep your heater running overtime. If your front or back door has space between it and the floor, add weather stripping to the bottom or use caulk to seal the gap. This will prevent excess heat from escaping and could keep your heater from running up your energy bill. Also, be sure to check out the exterior or your home - it's common to find gaps or cracks around windows and doors or where different building materials meet.

Make sure heat isn't escaping from your fireplace. Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney. Install a chimney pillow in the flue of unused or seldom used fireplaces. These plastic pillows are inflated to fill the chimney and block warm inside air from leaving. Remember to remove the pillow before starting a fire. You can buy chimney pillows from fireplace dealers and online.

Use shades and blinds to help heat and cool the house. On warm, sunny days, open the blinds or curtains of south-facing windows, allowing the sun to warm the room. In areas where your home doesn't get much sun, keep your curtains and blinds closed to trap in the heat.

Reverse the spin of ceiling fans. When spinning clockwise, ceiling fans will push warm air down. It will also redistribute the warm air from your heating system, making sure pockets of cold air don't settle in the corners of each room.

Maintain your HVAC filter. Air filters, although small, do a big job-they maintain the air quality in your home and help your heater run efficiently. If you don't replace your air filter, it clogs up from excess dust. This reduces airflow, or increases resistance, which puts strain on your heating and cooling system. Clean or replace furnace filters in the fall and then regularly during the heating season, following manufacturers' recommendations.