Be as Snug as a Bug in a Rug This Winter

Winter is almost here. Already, the mornings are cool and frost is covering the ground. Most people have already kicked their furnaces on to warm up their homes on those chilly nights and mornings. And with the cost of heating a home increasing rapidly, we need to do everything we possibly can to cut down on energy costs. A well insulated home can save hundreds of dollars every winter.

Before winter sinks its icy claws into us, we need to make sure our homes are checked and ready for Old Man Winter's nastiest disposition. There are some basic items we should always check every year. First, check your windows and doors for cracks or gaps that allow cold air in. Run your hand around the doors and windows to check for any cold air. If you can feel any, you need to replace or repair the seal around the door or window. Doors should close firmly against the rubber seal. Go outside and check the caulking around the window and door frames. If it is cracked or missing, replace it. Caulking is very cheap and simple to use and worth twice its weight in gold.

Something most people forget about is the filter in their furnace. This should be changed at the start of the use of the furnace. It should also be changed regularly, maybe as often as monthly. The money saved from a clean filter will more than pay for the cost of the filter. So keep several filters on hand, and get in the habit of checking and changing it often.

I know you've heard it before, but you really should turn your thermostat down in the mornings before you leave home. It will only take a short time for your house to warm up when you get home in the evening. Just think of how many times the furnace would have had to kick on to keep the temperature at seventy to seventy four degrees for the whole day. That's a lot of wasted energy. And for even more savings, try turning the thermostat down to about sixty eight degrees when you go to bed. Throw an extra quilt on the bed and wear a pair of footies to keep your feet warm. If your feet stay warm, your body will feel warmer. You'll be amazed at how much energy you can save just by following this simple suggestion.

If you are like most people, you spend most of your time at home in certain areas, such as the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. It makes sense that you want to keep these rooms warmer than other, less utilizied rooms. A good way to keep certain rooms warmer is with the use of portable heaters. That way you can heat where you are the most. Just be extremely careful with these types of heaters. Never leave them unattended and keep them out of the reach of children at all times.

There are also some things you can do outside to help save energy inside. For example, if your windows are old or not energy efficient, consider finding storm windows to add to them. If you can't afford those, there is always plastic. It's cheap, and it does help. Some of it can actually be put on so tight that you can't actually tell it's plastic. Unless you get really close to it, anyway.

If your home has a crawl space beneath it, consider buying large rolls of thick plastic and just laying it out on the ground. The plastic will hold moisture down on the ground and keep it from seeping up into your floors.

These are just a few cheap suggestions to help you reduce your heating costs this winter. Every degree of heat kept inside your home can mean dollars in your pocket. Just the thought of that warms me up.