Believe it or not, the holidays are just around the corner. You may have family and friends who will be coming to your home to partake in dinners and gift exchanges, and to spend time with each other. With all these extra guests in your home, you want to do your part as a generous host to make sure everyone is as warm and comfortable as possible.

If you live in an area that sees brutally cold temperatures during the late fall and winter months, you already know how expensive it can be to keep your home toasty. It probably seems like your heater is running almost constantly to maintain the temperature set on your thermostat. And with your extra expenses for gifts and special meals, you don’t want to spend any more than needed to heat your home and keep your family and friends warm when celebrating together.

We’ve put together some simple and cost-effective tips to help you and your loved ones keep warm even if the temperatures outside are beyond frigid. Read on to learn more.

Tip #1: Be sure your furnace is properly maintained.

You really can’t get away with not using your heating system this time of year, but you can be sure that it’s operating as efficiently as possible to keep you warm and cozy. This can be accomplished by scheduling annual maintenance for your system. During your tune-up appointment with a trained and experienced professional, he or she will thoroughly clean and inspect all working components inside your unit to make sure things are operating as they should. If potential problems are detected, many can be taken care of early — before they lead to a total breakdown of your system on frigidly cold day.

Not only will the technician make sure that your unit is operating efficiently, but he or she will also inspect your unit for safety issues. The technician will check for potential natural gas or carbon monoxide (CO) leaks, which could be deadly for your loved ones if left neglected. If your heating system operates on electricity, the technician will check for frayed or damaged wiring, which could ultimately lead to a fire.

Tip #2: Check your vents — and keep them open and clear.

Often, homeowners complain that their home feels cold in certain rooms. Many times, the simple solution to the problem is to check all the vents throughout the home. It’s not unheard of for these vents to get closed or blocked by furniture, rugs, curtains, toys, etc. When this happens, warm furnace air can’t make its way into all areas of your home, resulting in some areas that feel much colder than they should.

When checking your vents to be sure they’re not closed or blocked, also clean them off to remove any dirt/dust build-up. This doesn’t just look bad, but when conditioned air blows through the vents, it also kicks up the dirt and dust along with it. This could jeopardize your home’s indoor air quality and cause problems for anyone who may have respiratory issues, such as asthma.

Tip #3: Change the direction of your ceiling fan’s blades.

One often overlooked thing when it comes to keeping a home warm is the ceiling fan. During the colder months of the year, set your ceiling fan’s blades to spin in a clockwise direction as you look up at it. This helps to disperse heated air through your living space.

Tip #4: Prevent drafts from windows and doors.

Take care of any gaps in the frames of your windows and doors before the worst of the winter weather gets here. If your home has felt drafty – almost as if you can actually feel the cold outside air inside your home on a windy day — then you likely have pockets of air loss around your windows and doors.

To determine where extra insulation needs to be added, you can run your hand over the frame. Make note of any areas where you can feel cold air coming through. These are the spots to add weatherstripping or sealant. Not only will this help make your home more comfortable, but it could also help you save on monthly energy bills. When you have air loss in your home, it causes your home’s furnace to work overtime, which can lead to more wear on your furnace and higher energy bills each month.

Tip #5: Bake tasty holiday cookies and cakes

Make holiday-themed baked goods together with your family! The use of the oven will help keep you and your loved ones toasty and warm — and as you make cookies, cakes, pies, and more, you’ll be creating new memories together.

When your oven is on, it’ll raise the temperature inside your home and, in turn, this could help your furnace to run less than usual to keep your home warm.

Want more helpful homeowner tips?

Be sure to check our blog often as we frequently update it with tips, tricks, and advice for homeowners just like you! Season’s greetings to you and your loved ones from Oncourse Home Solutions!