Cold weather has a way of finding the weak spots in a home: the drafty window you ignored all summer, the furnace filter you meant to change, the gutter that was definitely going to get cleaned next weekend.

The good news: some of the best ways to lower your winter bills and head off expensive repairs are cheap, quick, or completely free. Here’s where to start—whether you own your place or answer to a landlord.

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Spend less on heat

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1. Start with the drafts you can actually feel

Sealing air leaks can cut 10–20% off a typical heating and cooling bill, per the DOE. For a low-cost fix, that’s a pretty compelling place to start.

On a windy day, walk the edges of your windows and exterior doors. To be more precise about it, hold a lit incense stick near the frame: if the smoke streams sideways instead of rising, there’s probably a leak.

A few fixes worth trying first:

• Window insulation film goes on with double-sided tape and a hair dryer, can make a real difference on older windows, and peels off in spring—so it works if you rent.
• Weatherstripping and a door sweep can help with doors that let in noticeable cold air.
• Foam gaskets behind outlet and switch covers on exterior walls take only a few minutes to install.

Film has limits, though. If a window fogs between the panes, won’t latch, or has a broken seal, plastic is only a temporary fix. That may be a sign it’s time to have the window repaired.

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2. If one room never gets warm, look at your ducts

Ducts running through an attic, crawlspace, or garage can waste a surprising amount of heated air when they’re leaky or poorly insulated. In other words: you may be paying to heat the crawlspace.

One clue is a room or two that never seem to warm up, no matter what the thermostat says. Sealing and insulating ducts usually calls for a pro, but if your system is losing a lot of heat along the way, fixing it can make a noticeable difference in comfort and energy use.

→ Browse duct repair pros on OfferUp

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3. Change your furnace filter

A clogged filter makes your heating system work harder to move the same amount of air. That can hurt efficiency and put extra strain on the system. The DOE recommends checking or replacing filters regularly based on the filter type and manufacturer guidance.

If you can’t remember the last time you changed yours, that’s probably your answer.

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4. Turn it down when you’re out—with one caveat

Setting the thermostat back while you’re out or asleep can lower heating costs. A smart thermostat can handle the schedule for you, which is useful if “remember to adjust the thermostat twice a day” is not currently topping your life priorities.

But skip it if you have a heat pump. They recover slowly, and a big temperature swing can kick on the backup resistance heat, which costs more than just holding steady. Not sure which you have? If your outdoor unit runs in winter, it's a heat pump. A regular air conditioner sits idle all season.

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5. Heat the room you’re in, not the whole house

If you spend most of your time in one or two rooms, using a space heater there while lowering the central heat can sometimes use less energy than keeping the entire home warmer. Just don’t ask one space heater to do the work of a furnace. Keep it on a flat surface with plenty of clearance, plug it directly into a wall outlet, and turn it off when you leave the room.

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6. Turn down your water heater

Water heating is 14–25% of a typical home's energy use. Set the tank to 120°F, which cuts the energy spent keeping water hot around the clock. The dial is usually on the side or the front. And if you can reach the pipes coming off it, sleeving them in foam saves another 3–4% a year, using the same material you'll want for freeze protection anyway.

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Head off the expensive stuff

The tips above can help lower monthly costs. The next ones are about keeping a small problem from becoming a much bigger one.

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7. Get the furnace serviced before you need it

A tune-up can catch worn parts, airflow problems, and other small issues before they become “why is the house 58 degrees?” issues. Doing it before the first serious cold snap can also make scheduling easier, before everyone else starts calling at the same time.

Heat pumps need regular service, too, especially since many of them work year-round.

→ Browse furnace repair pros on OfferUp

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8. Clean the gutters before the first freeze

Clogged gutters hold water. In cold climates, that can contribute to ice dams that push water beneath the roof edge. In rainy climates, overflowing gutters can send water down the siding and toward the foundation.

Either way, gutter cleaning is relatively inexpensive. Drywall repair and roof repair are less fun ways to spend the money.

If your place sits under a lot of mature trees, you may need to clean them twice: once mid-drop and again after most of the leaves are down. Future you does not want to discover this problem from a ceiling stain.

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9. Protect the pipes

If you live somewhere temperatures regularly drop below freezing, this one matters. Disconnect and drain garden hoses, shut off exterior faucets at the interior valve if your setup allows it, and insulate exposed pipes running through unheated spaces.

The expensive part of a burst pipe usually isn’t the pipe. It’s everything the water finds afterward.

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10. Book your AC service now—yes, in fall

It sounds backwards, but the off-season can be a smart time to get ahead. Last year on OfferUp, requests for air conditioning repair and maintenance were about three times higher in August than from October through April.

Translation: a lot more people start looking for the same help at the same time. Booking routine maintenance in the off-season can give you a head start before everyone remembers their AC on the first 90-degree day.

→ Browse AC maintenance pros on OfferUp

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