October ended yesterday, and Energy Awareness Month officially came to a close, so I thought I’d write a blog to wrap up this very important time of year. Obviously, we all need to be cognizant of our energy usage year-round. But I think this fact really hits home this time of year.

Many of us here in the Northeast got our first taste of winter—in the form of a major snowstorm—this Halloween weekend. And that makes us realize more than ever that NOW is the time to evaluate the energy efficiency of our homes.

Major improvements like new energy-efficient windows, better insulation, and new appliances can significantly impact our home energy bills. And I encourage everyone to undertake these very necessary projects at their first opportunity. Shop smart by looking for the ENERGY STAR label on new purchases.

And for those who can’t undertake a large project right now, there are still many small ways to save a bit of energy in your homes. Turning off lights, replacing furnace filters, installing a water heater blanket—these small, inexpensive improvements can make a real difference to your home energy usage as well.

So, as a wrap up to Energy Awareness Month, please check out the Department of Energy’s “Home Energy Checklist” (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/services/energy_aware_hec.html) to get some ideas on how you can save energy—and money!