Lately, the mornings have actually been pleasantly cool here! By noon it’s still fairly warm, but at least we’re still able to enjoy sitting out on our porch in the morning (even though I need to bring out a blanket)! This means that fall (my favorite season) is right around the corner! But with it comes cool temperatures, leading to the cold temperatures of winter. Which means it’s time to winter-proof our homes so that we can conserve energy and save money! No one wants high heating bills! If you don’t know where to start, check out these 5 Steps to Prepare Your Home for Cold Weather!
5 Steps to Prepare Your Home for Cold Weather
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Colder weather can mean high heating bills for your family. If you’re not careful you could easily see bills for $500 or more! The average family can’t handle that kind of jump in their bills, but with a few easy steps taken before it turns cold, you can prevent the need to even worry about it.
1.Identify and Seal Leaks
This one is actually important during the warmer months too, because if your home is leaking too much air, it’s going to take more power to heat and cool it. To figure out where you may be leaking air at, run your hand along each windowsill, door mantle and any baseboards in your home. Be sure to check around any cabinets or closets too, since they may be a big leak source that can be easily missed. If you can feel a temperature change, you’re leaking. Seal up the cracks to help keep air inside (or outside depending on which way you look at it).
2. Check Your Window Panes
Ideally, your home should have double-paned windows, but some homes (especially older ones) still use single pane. If this is the case with your house, the window glass itself is going to radiate cold. To prevent this from leaching cold into a home you’re trying to heat, cover the window with Visqueen plastic to create a second, blocking layer. Visqueen can easily be found on Amazon and at around $13 per roll is much more budget friendly than a high heating bill.
3. Check the Furnace Itself
Before cold weather sets in, turn on the furnace to be sure that it is working correctly. If not, get it fixed before you need it. Emergency service is always way more expensive than a regular service call. Make sure that you check the fans, blower and that the filter is new. A dusty filter can cause your furnace to not heat as well as it should.
4. Check the Insulation
If your home is poorly insulated, no amount of sealing is going to help too much. Check the attic of your home to be sure that the insulation isn’t too outdated to be effective, and that the covering is thick enough to do the job.
5. Pick Up a Couple of Electric Heaters
I know it seems counterintuitive, but picking up a couple of ceramic space heaters can actually help lower your heating bills. The amount of power they use to generate heat is often far less than you would use if you turned your furnace up. They are especially handy if you’re the type of person who likes to be warmer than others in your home. You can just use one to heat up the room that you’re in without heating up your whole house. They will help you save money over several winters so they’re a good investment.
These 5 steps to prepare your home for cold weather should be done while it’s still comfortable outside. If you wait until it turns cold, you’ll be too late (although better late than never) to cut costs down.
How do you prepare your home for winter?
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