It’s time to face winter. Even if you lose daylight and shell out for cocoa, you can save money if you prepare now. 

Check the heat early. Pay an HVAC technician to do a routine inspection which they will be accountable for, suggests financial advisor James Heal. Then invest in a programmable thermostat. This will allow you to switch off the meter when you’re out all day and warm things before you return home and early morning before you get out of bed.

Get cool. Turning the heat down from 72 to 65 for at least eight hours a day can reduce heating bills by 10 percent.

Insulation and windows are also key to keeping the electric bill down. Place “draft dodgers” or towels at the base of windows and doors. Dean Bennett, owner of a design/build firm, also suggests using a draft-catching tape (if you’re handy enough to install it without harming the windows). While you’re insulating, don’t forget the attic and crawlspaces.

If you have single pane windows, Uncle Sam is offering considerable rebates to homeowners who replace their old single pane windows with high efficiency dual pane ones. The rebate can pay for up to 10 new windows, estimates Leon Smith, a home improvement expert on JustAnswer.com.

And don’t dismiss the value of an electric blanket. ”Today’s models are safe and will allow you to turn down the thermostat at night - significantly. The cumulative electric bill savings for the months of October-March can amount to 25-35 percent for a family of three or four,” says Bennett. The blanket runs $50-$100 but more than pays for itself in heating savings.

Now there’s the detail work. Check your water pipes. If they are prone to freezing, wrap them in heat tape, (about $30-$40 for a kit that includes tape and a transformer). Remember that the heat tape is powered by electricity, so you’ll need the capacity to plug it in, adds Bennett.

Clean out gutters. In cold-weather climates, this will prevent icicles from forming and get the water to go down the gutters as they should, instead of the sidewalks where you can end up with dangerous icy patches. “Failure to clean them can result in ice dams that will destroy a roof in very short order,” says Smith.

Blow out your sprinkler system. This prevents ice from cracking the system, avoiding costly repairs and water leaks. Disconnect garden hoses from outside faucets to prevent the faucets from freezing and breaking. Drain hoses and store them out of the weather, advises plumber Matthew Cooley.

Take care of the lawn and garden. Do a winter lawn fertilization. Thirty dollars should give you enough fertilizer to cover 10,000 square feet.

And instead of cursing when your car won’t start, start preparing your car now. Check your tires. Keeping tires properly inflated can save you as much as nine cents per gallon in gas costs. Check the wheels. “Making sure your vehicle is properly aligned can save as much as 15 cents per gallon,” says Kimberly Danger of mommysavers.com. Replacing  air filters can mean saving as much as 31 cents per gallon.

Winter doesn’t have to be all about faddish toys and Super Bowl binges- but if you go that way, the savings here should help offset your costs.