Hello, friends,

I hope your month of December is off to a great start.

As the end of the year approaches and the weather starts turning colder, we often think of chestnuts roasting on an open fire or watching the snow fall with a nice cup of cocoa. I think of those things, but I also think of ways to weatherize my house.

Weatherizing is an inexpensive way to save energy, and it puts a little cash back in our pockets. (We could all use a little more of that, right?)

Most weatherizing is easy and can be done in just one weekend. Here are a few tips that can help you out. I want to thank my friend Sarah Suelter for helping me with some tips I forgot.

• Change your furnace filters. This is an easy way to keep the air in your home clean and reduce how hard your furnace has to work.
  
• Shut unused vents and the doors to unused rooms. A no-brainer here; there's no sense in heating unused rooms.
  
• Weatherproof windows. This just requires a simple kit found at most hardware stores, and is an easy way to seal off drafty windows.
  
• Turn down your thermostats. Adding a sweater or sweatshirt to your wardrobe and lowering your thermostat a few degrees can save you almost 10 percent on your natural gas bill.
  
• If you have the time and the resources, have a trained professional check out your heating system to make sure it's running smoothly.
  
• Insulate exposed pipes. This is an easy step that will lower your utility bills and avoid costly frozen pipes.

After weatherizing, if you still find that your utility bills are too high, the Johnson County Utility Assistance Program may be able to help. The program provides financial assistance to eligible Johnson County residents experiencing difficulty paying their electricity, natural gas, water, propane, heating wood, or sewage bills.

If you need assistance, call the Johnson County Utility Assistance line, 913-715-6653, and staff will be happy to help you. You can also find more details at the Human Services website: http://hsa.jocogov.org/outreach/utility_assistance.shtml.

Of course, winterizing doesn't have to stop with your house. You can also make sure your car tires are properly inflated and the engine tuned. That's a great way to increase fuel efficiency and avoid a stalled car on a cold day.

And don't forget to check on your neighbors from time to time. This can be life-saving any month of the year, but especially in winter. I will always be thankful to the neighbor who discovered my grandfather after he had fallen.

If I can be of any assistance with weatherproofing your house or with any county issue, call me or e-mail me.

In closing, let's remember our veterans on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. And I would be remiss if I didn't wish all of you a Happy Hanukkah and a Merry Christmas!