Most People Run Their Ceiling Fan Wrong in Winter! Try Big Mama's Old Tricks for a Lower Heat Bill

If your ceiling fan blows a cool breeze on you in October, it is working against you. There is a little switch on the side of the motor, and my mama flipped it every fall. But the switch is not what kept her gas bill low. What she did right after is number six. The average family is expected to spend about $1,030 to heat the house this winter, $82 more than last year. Here are six old Southern tricks that cost little or nothing, straight from Mama's house and checked against what the Department of Energy and Energy Star say. Number four is a hole in most houses that lets warm air out all winter. Number five is something every house on our street did on cold mornings, and it can hurt somebody. 00:00 The Fan Switch Mama Flipped Every Fall 01:49 #1 The Ceiling Fan Switch 03:35 #2 The Curtains 05:07 Winters in Mama's House, 1962 05:57 #3 Finding the Drafts 06:58 #4 The Hole Most People Walk Past 07:59 #5 The One I Will Not Do Anymore 09:56 Subscribe for One More Every Week 10:06 #6 What Mama Did Right After 11:42 The Quiet Part 12:24 All Six in One Breath 12:52 Tell Me in the Comments HOW TO DO IT Ceiling fan in winter: turn the fan off and let the blades stop, slide the direction switch on the motor (or use the remote), run it on LOW, turning clockwise as you look up. You should not feel a breeze. Turn it off when you leave the room. Thermostat: about 68°F while you are home and awake. Turning it back 7-10°F for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year (Department of Energy). If you have a heat pump, keep a steady, moderate setting instead. SAFETY Never heat your home with the stove or oven. Keep space heaters 3 feet from anything that can burn, plug them straight into a wall outlet (no extension cords or power strips), and turn them off when you leave the room or go to bed. Put a carbon monoxide alarm outside each sleeping area. Never close a fireplace damper until the fire is out and the ashes are cold. Need help with the bill? Call your local Community Action Agency about LIHEAP energy assistance. In Georgia, people 65 and older and the medically homebound can sign up first. SOURCES Heating cost forecast (NEADA, Sept 2026): https://katv.com/news/nation-world/ho... Energy Star, ceiling fans: https://www.energystar.gov/products/h... Hunter Fan, reversing your fan: https://support.hunterfan.com/hc/en-u... Department of Energy winter tips (archived): http://web.archive.org/web/2025100221... Department of Energy window coverings (archived): http://web.archive.org/web/2025100100... Department of Energy thermostats (archived): http://web.archive.org/web/2022012716... CPSC home heating safety: https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Re... NFPA heating fire facts: https://www.bismarcknd.gov/DocumentCe... #HeatingBill #CeilingFan #OldSchoolTricks