The Welcome Mat

Winterizing Your Home

While summer has just ended and the thought of much colder days seems far in the future, winter is coming and precautions should be taken to keep your home energy efficient during the coming months. Using the tips below can help reduce the heating bills of even those living in milder climates. 

Inspect your insulation

Since hot air rises, the best way to keep your house heated is to make sure it’s appropriately insulated. That way the heat can’t escape as easily. Check the insulation in your attic. If you can see the ceiling joists, you don’t have enough.

Seal up outdoor cracks

Inspect the outside perimeter of your house for cracks, especially around your windows and faucets. Gaps in these areas can let in a tremendous amount of cold air, which can send your heating bills soaring. Use standard caulking to seal up these areas.

Seal up indoor cracks

Just as outdoor cracks can let in a lot of cold air, indoor cracks can let out a lot of warm air. Using standard caulk, walk around your house and seal up any cracks around windows, perimeter walls, and electrical outlets. If your windows are drafty and new windows are not in the budget, purchase a window insulation kit. They are easy to install and can considerably reduce the draft.

Check your heating system

Have a professional come out to inspect your system every year to make sure it’s running efficiently. Also, have your ducts cleaned and your filters changed periodically throughout the winter months so dust doesn’t hinder your system’s effectiveness.

Another idea to consider is to purchase a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat allows you to set the temperature of the house for different times of the day. For example, you can set it to lower the temperature at 10pm, raise it at 6am and then lower it again at 8am, so you don’t have to worry about leaving the heat on too high while you’re at work.

Keep your hot water hot

Part of your utility bill is used toward providing hot water. By wrapping a blanket around your hot water heater and insulating your water pipes, you can help keep your hot water hot and lower your utility bill. These specialty blankets for the water heater and foam insulation tubes for the pipes can be purchased at your local hardware store.