Nov 13

Nov 13 Cold Weather Money-Saving Tips for Your Home

I love the fall and winter seasons. Cooler temps, sweaters, the smells of baking, holidays, snow (as it falls, not the aftermath) and cuddling to keep warm…I look forward to it every year.

However, I can do without harsh effects the seasons can inflict on my home and wallet. Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years that can help you protect your home and wallet in during the colder seasons.

OUTSIDE YOUR HOME

Caulk cracks and holes outside your home and close or cover foundation vents and windows to the basement to keep warm air from leaking out and increasing your heating costs.

Clean gutters to prevent ice from forming and causing damage. I hate doing it too, but you’ll hate dishing out money to fix them even more.

Trim trees with branches hanging near or over your home. We learned this the hard way. One month in our new home an ice storm brought down several branches onto the power lines in our backyard. Imagine the damage it would have done to our home.

Insulate exposed faucets and pipes outside and under your home with foam covers to prevent freezing and water damage from busted pipes

INSIDE YOUR HOME

Weather strip windows and doors.

Protect pipes near exterior walls with pipe insulation or heating tape.

Change your furnace filter.

Open curtains in rooms with direct sunlight. Each morning the sun shines brightly through our living room window, which is great for us since that’s where we spend most of our time. The direct sunlight heats the room and allows us to give our furnace a break until late afternoon.

Put an insulated blanket on your water heater. In our home, our water heater is inconveniently placed between the backdoor and an outside window. Our blanket has more than paid for itself in energy savings.

Switch your ceiling fans to spin clockwise. Warm air rises. By switching your fans to turn slowly clockwise, the fan pushes the warm air down to the middle of the room where it’s needed most.

Close doors and vents to unused rooms to push more warm air into the rooms you use more.

Wear warmer clothes and use blankets. Many people, my wife included, don’t like to wear layers of clothes inside. Instead of reaching for a sweatshirt or thicker socks, the alternative is to raise the thermostat dial. Layers and blankets while relaxing will keep you surprisingly warm. The money you’ll save will keep you warm too.