Five Ways to Winterize Your Home

Winter is slowly appearing within many parts of the world. In central Illinois, we have gotten our first snowfall tonight. While it’s just a dusting, there are colder temperatures ahead in the coming months. This doesn’t mean it has to be chilly inside your dwelling place, however, when there is a blizzard of snowflakes outside. There are easy steps to keeping your home’s inside cozy while the outside is frosty. At the same time, the savings will appear on your electricity bill, allowing you to save money and energy.

First, conceal any door drafts. Many people use draft snakes and slip them under their doors, trapping the cold air out and keeping the warm air in. This is made by using extra pieces of fabric which may be filled with sand or kitty litter. It’s estimated that this simplistic insulation may save 5-30 percent on an electricity bill. For instance, if a bill is $100, then that is a $30 savings.

Another way to winterize your home is to install storm doors and windows. Storm doors have the ability to add more light and air flow into your home. Similarly, this small home improvement project can increase energy efficiency by forty-five percent, which will be more in the bank and less on your bill. Likewise, storm windows keep the cold air out and the warm air in. Those that have this home improvement may qualify for a tax credit, so be sure to ask your accountant.

Next, consider your thermostat. This is where most of the heating and cooling costs are evaporated into air. A family member of mine always keeps their thermostat low, while in turn saving lots of money. This is because for every degree lower that it is, the consumer saves one to three percent in savings. It may be wise to invest in a programable thermostat, so you know exactly what the temperature is at any given time. This also gives you the authority to lock a temperature into place, in case young kids may tamper with it.

Also, consider taping bubble wrap onto your windows. Cold air may be escaping through the cracks of the windows, which allows the hot air the ability to escape. While this may appear silly, light is still able in through the bubble wrap. It’s estimated this technique can save five to thirty percent in energy each year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Finally, change the rotation of your ceiling fans. Throughout the year, most homeowners have their fans spinning counter-clockwise. This produces cooler, breezy air to keep the home cool throughout the hot, summer months. During the winter, change the rotation to clockwise. This simple task pushes the air up, which makes it warm and heats the home. According to The Daily Green, homeowners may see a ten percent savings off their heating bill.