How to Prepare Your Home for Winter

Winter is on its way, and that means it is time to get your house in order and ready for the season.  There are many simple things you can do to protect your house from damage from the elements, as well as save money on your energy bills by maximizing energy efficiency with some simple updates to your home.

 

Like wearing a scarf in the winter, there are some accessories for your home that can help keep you warm, and save you a considerable amount of money on your energy bill.  One of these accessories is a draft stopper.  These are simple foam rollers that go beneath your doors to block wind from coming in, and heat from going out. This is worth it in the long run, as draft stoppers can save you 15% on you energy bills this winter.

Steps for winterizing your home

Change your furnace filters.  This is very easy, and very important.  Ideally, you will change the filters once a month during the winter season.  If you don’t change your furnace filters, it can reduce the effectiveness of your heating system, and cause it to work harder wasting you energy on your bills.

Run your fans in reverse.  Clockwise fan rotation pulls the air towards the ceiling, circulating it around for a heating effect. Using this method can save you as much as 10 percent on your energy bills.

Seal all your windows and doors! A small leak or unsealed window can waste a ton of energy each month.  You can use caulking or weather-stripping to seal leaks, and prevent the cold winter air from coming in.

Investing in storm doors and windows can save you up to 45 percent on your energy bills.  This is the ultimate way to seal your windows and doors.  It can be costly initially, but is a worthy investment for homeowners and will increase the value of your home, as well as save you money each month on bills. For a less expensive window treatment, try a window insulation kit.

Prevent pipes from bursting

To prevent pipes from freezing and bursting, you should let a faucet run to a drip.  Do not use too much water, but letting it have movement will prevent it from freezing and bursting, which is a much more costly fix then a little extra on your water bill.

Make sure to turn your thermostat down while you aren’t at home.  Why waste energy on an empty house?  Every degree that you turn down on the thermostat can save 2-3 percent on the energy bill.

 

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