(BPT) - The beginning of the year is a great time to make positive changes in your home. While many will wait until March to embrace “spring cleaning” season and make home improvements, a few simple changes can be made now to help you conserve energy and start saving money right away. Here are some steps that can help lower energy consumption – and associated costs – in your home this month and throughout the year:

Turn your house into a "smart home"

From heating and cooling to ceiling fans, lighting and security systems, homes can now be wired for a number of automated functions to optimize the energy consumed by the systems they run.