We're in the middle of winter, and regardless of whether you're using electric, gas, or some other form of heating, your energy bills are probably starting to stack up as you try to warm your home.

Today I'm going to share with you 10 ways that you can both keep your home warm, and actually lower your energy bills. This video and article are sponsored by FilterBuy.com

Step 1: Install Plastic Window Insulation

Using heat shrink plastic and a blow-dryer can be a simple, effective way to help seal off windows and other small gaps in your home. Windows are one of the worst offenders in terms of letting in that cold air, and getting them replaced or fixed can cost a lot

Start by measuring your window. You're going to want to use a sheet of plastic that is slightly larger than the window itself. Then use the included double-sided tape to attach the plastic to the window frame. Just use a blow dryer to help adhere it to the frame and window and smooth out any bubbles.

Step 2: Seal Gaps With Spray Foam

For areas like around electrical outlets, using a spray foam can be a good fix, especially in older homes. In these, the area around electrical boxes can often be poorly sealed, which allows drafts to come in.

Step 3: Change Direction of Ceiling Fan

One of the easiest ways to keep your home warm in winter is reversing your ceiling fan. Because warm air rises, setting the blades this way will help push warm air back down into the room.

Step 4: Lower Water Heater Temperature

This may sound a bit counter-intuitive, but with colder temperatures outside and inside, lowering that temperature on your water heater will still feel hot to you, and it will help lower the amount of energy you are using to keep it hot. Over time, this can add up and save you a fair amount of money.

Step 5: Change Your Furnace Air Filters

Your air filters should be changed every 3 months or so, so you should take care of that to ensure the air you breathe is as clean as possible. As a bonus, though, it ensures your furnace is functioning as optimally as possible.

If you don't like dealing with the hassle of buying air filters every few months, I would recommend that you check out FilterBuy.com, a direct-to-consumer H-VAC filter provider. Simply set how frequently you would like to receive your filters and the size needed, and it will ship to you within 24 hours. This saves you a trip to the big box store, and they arrive when you need to change the filter, so it's one less thing to worry about. And as a bonus, they're a family owned company that manufactures everything right here in the USA, and I can't recommend them enough.

Step 6: Install or Inspect Weatherstripping

Broken or damaged weatherstripping around doors can be a big problem in terms of keeping drafts out. Make sure to inspect your exterior doors, and if the weatherstripping looks like it has any cracking or dry rot. Replace it if it shows signs of wear and tear.

Step 7: Utilize Door Sweeps and Draft Guards

Additionally, check the bottom of your doors to make sure the door sweeps don't have drafts coming in beneath the door. In colder climates, you may even see some snow flowing in beneath the door too.

In cases where it is hard to tell where drafts are coming from, using a tool like a laser thermometer can be useful for finding drafts.

Step 8: Install a Smart Thermostat

This option is great for making sure you are as efficient as possible with your energy usage. My Nest smart thermometer can even be accessed from my phone, so I can monitor my heating and set a schedule for when I am out of the home.

Step 9: Close Chimney Flues and Add a Cover

An open chimney flue is a direct shot for cold air to make its way into the home. Since cold air falls, it can literally act as a funnel for all the warm air in your home to float out and be replaced by the colder air.

Step 10: Replace Fireplace With Wood Stove

Traditional fireplaces lose the majority of their heat out the chimney rather than heating the room. A wood burning stove can both work more efficiently to heat your home, as well as cut down on energy costs.

So, that's it for now, I hope these tips will help you stave off the cold this winter, and hopefully save you some money as well.

If you found this kind of content helpful, I also encourage you to check out my new project, the How to Home Podcast, which you can find on all major podcast platforms, and the condensed versions will be on my YouTube channel as well. There we talk about all kinds of topics related to home improvement and DIY projects, so I hope you'll check it out!

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Thank you guys so much, and I'll see you next time!