Ah, ‘tis the season of festive gatherings, fancy lights, horribly cold weather, and… rising utility costs? That’s right, along with the holiday season, and the winter season in general, comes that ever so steep rise in your gas and electricity bills.

You’ve turned the thermostat up a few notches, you spend an extra ten minutes in your extra hot shower, the gas fireplace is on all. day. long. Not to mention all of the holiday lights strung across your roof, the hours spent using the electric mixer for all that holiday baking, and the tediously large dinner parties you’re throwing for your family and friends.

Amongst all of the craziness this time of year brings, one thing  is for certain: we are finished with these ridiculously high gas and electricity bills, please and thank you.

Luckily for you, we have figured out 3 ways to lower your utility bill.

Solar Panels

Okay so this may not be an immediate fix. Think of it more like an investment. While they are somewhat pricey to install, you will see immediate financial and environmental benefits.

In the US, the federal government will deduct 30% of the cost of your solar panels off of you federal taxes using the Investment Tax Credit.

Window Treatments

There are a variety of window treatments available to help lower the amount of heat escaping your windows (in the winter) or the amount of heat getting in your windows (in the summer).

The most obvious and easy to use of these treatments are specific blinds, curtains, shutters, etc. Typically these are more helpful in the summer, when they prevent the heat from the sun from warming your house. This saves you money on your air conditioning.

In the winter, to keep the cold air out and the warm air in, you can also seal off your windows with airtight plastic. This is an inexpensive, and relatively easy to do process that you can finish in an afternoon.

Replace Your HVAC Filter

This is something that most people probably don’t think about. When was the last time you changed your furnace’s filter? Experts say you should be changing it around once every month, especially throughout the winter months.

When your filter doesn’t get changed, it becomes dirty and clogged, which means that it will be working a lot harder to do the job of a clean filter. This extra work can cause your utility bill to skyrocket.

By replacing your HVAC filter regularly, you can save up to 15% on your utility costs.

Everyone Loves Saving Money

Whether your utility costs are making you pull your hair out, or they are no more than they usually are, these money saving tips can only benefit you. Not only do these tips help save money on your monthly utility bills, but they all help the environment by lowering the amount of energy being used and the amount of energy being wasted.

Everyone should consider implementing one or even all of these energy and money savings techniques!