The cooler days of autumn have finally arrived, which means that for many of us, we’re shifting our habits to accommodate the new season. Warmer clothes, warmer houses and warmer beverages are back on the forefront of many of our minds, I’m sure, and I wanted to take an opportunity to share with you all some energy-saving tips especially helpful to me during this season.

It’s in your best interest to double-check the drafts throughout your home. While they may have been a simple nuisance during the summer, they’re going to be the quickest ways heat gets out in the fall. Any time you use the thermostat this season (and I’d advise using it as little as you can), that heat could very well slip through whatever cracks are remaining. But on the issue of the thermostat, using that less is certainly beneficial for saving you money this season. Investing instead in big blankets, sweaters or double layers is a better alternative to driving up your energy fees.

Keeping curtains closed and opened at certain times throughout the day can help with efficiency. Keeping them open during the day, when the sun is shining, helps heat travel indoors; keeping them closed at night keeps the heat in. And in that spirit, it might also be worthwhile to double-check your furniture and home for other faults so you don’t have to deal with repairs or replacements in the winter. Inspect your furnace, your water heater and your insulation before it gets too cold and you’re stuck playing catch-up.

These are just a few tips I hope help you out this season. As per the Farmer’s Almanac’s Extended Winter Forecast, a colder winter may be upon us, bringing with it lots of snow, sleet and ice and enough chills to make even the most winter-resistant of us shiver in our boots. But if you plan ahead, now, and you won’t have to worry for the rest of the season.