Winterize your windows! Sounds expensive right? Wrong. Purchase a window insulator kit. The entire kit is a plastic sheet with a window safe tape on one side. They usually cost anywhere from 5-20 dollars and that covers multiple windows. Just stick on the plastic on the inside of your window and apply heat (a hairdryer works best). Depending on how thin your windows are, you can apply two sheets. Just remove in the spring!
Reverse your ceiling fan! We usually use our ceiling fans in the summer, but this winter, use your fan to keep the heat from rising. On most fans, there is a small switch on the fan to reverse the direction in which the blades are rotating. Turn the fan on the lowest setting to reduce the feeling of the air movement. And just remember, clockwise in winter, counterclockwise in summer.
Make sure your furnace works! Turn your furnace on just to double check it still works before winter hits and your furnace-less. It may smell a little dusty but the smell shouldn’t last long. If it does, call a professional. A dirty furnace filter will cause a slight air shortage causing you to spend more money and get less heat. It’s a good idea to get a new filter annually so you can get all the heat you can.
Bake! Use your oven. After you are done with dinner, cookies, whatever, crack your oven. Especially if your house is smaller, you will definitely feel a difference in temperature. That oven gets hot so put that heat to good use. Other than baking cookies that is!
Turn the heat down! No, don’t turn it off. Burrrr! But, why heat your house when you’re either gone or asleep most the day anyways? Turn it down to 60 when you’re at work, 60 when you go to bed and save about 10% this winter while doing so. If that is too chilly, invest in a down comforter, fleece sheets and, use a space heater. Keep your bedroom doors open to get the heat from other parts of the house, and close the vents in rooms you rarely go in so that heat goes into your room.
