Little things like the right setting on your ceiling fan can make a huge impact. Ceiling fans aren’t just for summer; changing your fan’s directional settings and speed can keep your rooms more comfortable all year long. Using a ceiling fan correctly will also save you money by lowering your heating and air conditioning costs.

In warmer months, a ceiling fan produces a direct breeze, blowing air down into the room and creating a wind-chill effect. The result? You can set your thermostat a little higher, and still be comfortable. In a normal, or forward, setting, your ceiling fan is running in a counterclockwise direction — when viewed from below — which creates the direct breeze. It also helps to pick up air from the air conditioning vents and circulate the cooler air throughout the room.

When it comes to speed, go higher in summer and lower in winter. In warm weather, you want to feel the air moving, so use a medium or high speed to help increase the wind-chill factor. In cooler months, you don’t really want to feel the air moving, so switch the speed to medium or low. The idea in winter is to simply circulate the heated air in your home. As for placement, ideally your fan blades should hang between 10 and 12 inches below the ceiling for the best results. If you’re dealing with very tall or vaulted ceilings, hang the fan so the blades are about eight to nine feet above the floor.