Surrounded by the beautiful New England foliage, the last thing you want to be thinking about is the depth of Connecticut winters, but now is the time to start winterizing your home. Connecticut’s cold months can cause major increases in your utility bills, and if your home is not properly prepared, much of that money can go right out the window or under the door. A little preplanning can save you some money and worry when the temperature plummets. From simple solutions to full replacements of utility equipment, winterizing your home can be as cheap or as expensive a project as you can afford. Energize Connecticut, a Department of Energy and Environmental Protection program affiliated with the state’s utility companies, is a good place to start in making your home more energy efficient. From quick do-it-yourself fixes to information about professionals and tax rebates, energizect.com shows you how to get the biggest bang for your buck. “People should understand that everyone can take control of their own energy costs,” says Diane Duva of the Office of Energy Demand at DEEP’s Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy. “People can make sure they’re getting the best value out of their home by winterizing. It does pay back for people.” Windows/Doors Reducing drafts is one of the easiest and most crucial steps in winterizing your home. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drafts can waste between 5 and 30 percent of your home’s energy. These major energy suckers can be fixed with various solutions including putting draft snakes under your doors, caulking door frames and placing plastic over windows. You can purchase and install these materials yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. To begin this process Enoch Lenge, an energy-efficiency expert at Connecticut Light and Power and Yankee Gas, recommends investing in Energize Connecticut’s Home Energy Solutions service. Energy professionals will spend time in your home identifying where air is leaking and then fill the cracks with weather stripping or caulk on the spot. They will also give you 25 new light bulbs (another easy way to significantly reduce your energy bills), wrap your hot water pipes and seal your duct work, all for about $99. Energize Connecticut pays the remainder of the bill, and this service reportedly saves the average homeowner up to $200 in energy costs over the course of a year. Sign up at energizect.com or by calling (877) 947-3873. Insulation “Another thing that really does pay off is insulating your attic and the ceiling of your basement,” says Duva, “essentially making a [barrier] between your living space and non-living space. That kind of insulation is relatively easy because it’s accessible. It’s critical to every home.” Through the Home Energy Solutions consultation, professionals can assess how much insulation you currently have in your home and what you should ideally have. Lenge explains that for the average 1,500-square-foot home, upgrading the insulation can save between $80 and $100 per year, and the average return on investment takes only two years with the program’s rebate option. Hoses/Pipes For the freezing New England winters we’ve all come to expect, insulating pipes is a must. Purchasing the pre-slit foam sleeves at your local hardware store is an easy fix that will help you avoid freezing or bursting pipes while also reducing hot water costs. Also, be sure to drain your hoses and air conditioners to avoid freezing and breaking next summer. It’s not a bad idea to go one step further and store them inside. Furnace Furnace filters should be replaced every month during the heating season (that can be from November through March if Connecticut is hit with a particularly tough winter). Check the filter regularly and change it when it’s dirty. This can lower your utility bills, both in the winter and in the summer, and it can increase the life of your furnace. The initially more expensive option is to replace the furnace with a more energy-efficient model. “The furnaces today are far more efficient than even 20 years ago,” says Duva. “It’s a really good way to save energy. It may take a little more time to get your money back on that, but it is an important step.” When shopping, look for the Energy Star label to see which models save the most energy—and money. Financing exists to make this purchase a little more manageable, including paying back the loan on your utility bill. “The upfront cost is often a barrier for people,” says Duva. “We’ve worked out a way to make it possible to balance that cost out over several years.” There are also bundle options that reduce the cost if you complete multiple upgrades at one time. Visit Energize Connecticut’s website for more information on cost-saving programs. Gutters Cleaning your gutters is a consequence in this area of the beautiful fall foliage we New Englanders love. Gutters should be cleared during the mild days of fall before it gets too cold and icy. A blockage can cause stagnant water, which could attract unwanted wildlife such as mosquitoes, or it can result in water damage to the interior and exterior of your home. Check your gutter system seasonally and remove blockages as needed. You can also hire a professional if you’re physically not up to the task or cleaning gutters seems particularly unappealing. Some businesses may offer winterizing packages to encourage getting it done before winter really sets in. Winterizing your home doesn’t have to be an expensive project. Some of these small steps can significantly decrease your utility bills and make your home more energy efficient, which can save money now and in the long run. According to DEEP, Connecticut residents saved more than $29 million through energy efficiency in 2013 alone. That’s as much energy as 8,280 homes use in an entire year. “Connecticut is really committed to making energy-dependent [residents] feel comfortable in controlling their lives. You can do more than you realize—taking control of how you light your home, how you heat and cool your home,” says Duva. “People should assess what their usage is. Saving energy is one of the most important things you can do to make the world a better place.”