That chill you felt through your house a couple of weeks ago should serve as a reminder: You’re not the only one who needs to bundle up as temperatures drop.

Your house needs to keep warm too. With adequate insulation, a clean air filter and sealed cracks, your house can help keep you warm and help you save energy costs as well.

One easy and important step in winterizing your home is to replace your vent filter — and do it soon.

“Definitely do it before winter,” said Rodney Palmer, owner of Rod’s Heating and Air.

Without a clean filter, it would take longer for the furnace to warm the air, he said.

Mark Brake, owner of Wright Home Services, said to be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions in changing filters and keep note of the model number.

Also, make sure you do not have a rusty heat exchange, Palmer said. He said rusty heat exchanges could be problems in older units that are 20 to 25 years old.

Another way to ward off winter chill is to seal off cracks in windows, doors and other areas where warm air may leak.

The OG&E Web site advises replacing single pane windows with more energy efficient windows. However, the windows can be expensive.

Weather-stripping and caulking around window exteriors are effective ways to cut costs for people who cannot afford to replace single pane windows. The Oklahoma Natural Gas Web site says reducing air leaks could cut 10 percent from an average household’s monthly energy bill. The most common places air can escape in homes include plumbing penetrations, fans and vents, electrical outlets, doors, windows, fireplaces, ducts, even floors walls and ceilings, the Web site said.

Brake said people could buy adhesive weather-stripping to put around doors and windows.

“Your local hardware store could have weatherizing kits,” Brake said.

Nick Davis, operations manager at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, said people can buy all sorts of weather-stripping for their homes. The store has patches and plugs that could keep air from escaping through electrical sockets or light switches, he said.

Adequate insulation also helps keep you and your house warm for less.