You can improve your home’s energy efficiency and stay warm.

Home improvement is a staple on a lot of people’s New Year’s resolution lists.

Ranging from quick DIYs to full upgrades, check out a few tips to improve your home’s energy efficiency:

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  Caulking helps keep warm air in and cold air out in the winter. (iStock)

  Caulk and seal. Moisture in and around windows is a sign that you have a draft, which can be fixed with a few caulking touch-ups. Caulking also helps seal air leaks to keep cool air outdoors.

• Upgrade appliances. Looking to give your house a facelift in 2017? Start in the kitchen by upgrading old appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, ovens and dishwashers. Older models are not as energy efficient as their newer counterparts. Upgrading kitchen appliances with ENERGY SMART options will help you save in the long run.

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  Programmable and smart thermostats give you better control over when your heat and air conditioning are on. (iStock)

  Switch to a programmable thermostat. Upgrading your older thermostat with a programmable version will let you set it and forget it as it automatically switches between cooling and heating.

• Turn back your thermostat a few degrees. You can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling simply by turning your thermostat back a few degrees from its normal setting for eight hours a day – when you’re not at home you will not even know the difference.

• Use LEDs instead of incandescent light bulbs. Replace incandescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR LEDs. You will get the same level of light for 75 percent less energy, and LEDs last 25 times longer than older versions.

• Clean or replace air filters. Getting on a schedule to clean or replace HVAC filters regularly can lower your air conditioner’s use five to 15 percent. Don’t forget about the dryer filter – a dirty filter makes your dryer work harder and burn more energy than necessary. It is also a fire hazard.
  

  Keeping clean filters in place helps your system work more efficiently. (iStock)

Here are some additional tips on how you can stay warm while saving energy during the colder months:

• Use a small room fan or ceiling fan to distribute heated air. When reversed, ceiling fans can circulate hot air trapped near the ceiling.

• If you use portable electric heaters, use them only in small areas. Buy models that are thermostatically controlled. Place these in well-ventilated areas away from flammable objects.

• Use an electric blanket at night. An electric blanket is more economical than heating the entire house all night long.

• Although a crackling fire in the fireplace can make a room appear to be more warm and cozy, fireplaces often hurt energy efficiency because a lot of the heated air escapes up the chimney. A fireplace designed for providing heat eliminates this problem through a draft, which supplies the fire with outside air rather than air from the room.

• Keep cold wind outside by closing garage doors. Close all louvers and vents in the attic or foundation walls during the winter – but be sure to open them when the weather turns warm.

• Leave draperies open on sunny days so your house will absorb the sun’s heat. Close them on the shaded side of the house and at night.

• Make sure heating outlets and return air registers are not blocked by furniture, draperies, doors or other obstacles.