AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — With colder weather approaching some might be tempted to turn the thermostat up multiple notches, but officials with Xcel Energy discourage that.

“So, I think it’s important for people to remember, if you use a lot more electricity, it’s going to reflect on your bill. Now, it’s not overly cold yet to be looking at some things you could do in your home to make it more weather tight,” said Wes Reeves, spokesman for Xcel Energy.

Reeves said to save on your electricity bill there are a few tips customers can follow. The first tip is to change the rotation of your ceiling so that instead of blowing cold air it will circulate warm air.

“Keep the warm air inside, kind of take a look at your windows and doors to see if there’s air escaping or cold air coming in. It’s just cool enough now that you can kind of tell if you put your hand down and check that,” said Reeves. “If you have a fireplace in your home, we often forget to close up the damper on the fireplace when we’re not using it.”

Reeves said that another tip is to set the thermostat a few degrees cooler during the winter.

“If you really, really want to save money, put it around 68 degrees, but just kind of depends on your preferences in the family. So, one rule of thumb is if you sort of have a favorite setting, knock it back two or three degrees. Just to kind of see how that affects you,” said Reeves “For every degree you go backward, you’re going to see savings.”

With the holiday seasons and many homes getting decked with Christmas lights, Reeves said that switching to LED bulbs can save customers money.

“So, a led bulb uses up to 90% less energy than a typical bulb. So, you’re seeing savings for each bulb. So, you know with led bulbs you can save it really depends on how you how you use lightning,” said Reeves. “But you can see multiple percentages of discounts in terms of using those led bulbs.”

Reeves also wanted to remind customers who are falling behind on their utility bills can always reach out to Xcel Energy for assistance and payment plans.

You can find more information here.