Winter is officially upon us all. Well, almost. It is still fall but getting cold extremely fast. Time to put the fans and window air units away and break out the heaters, as well as fret about the outrageous heating bill you will surely receive next month.
The truth is a lot of people spend a lot of money each year trying keep themselves, as well as their families, warm in the midst of the extremely cold winter. There are a lot of ways to help with the high-end bill you may be facing, and in fact, you can actually save a lot of money by just doing something as simple as putting plastic over your windows. If you are a person who likes to save a little bit of money through the cold of winter, then put your check book away and pull out your petty cash because you can be saving more than you think this winter.
1.Paper or Plastic?
How about both? Any person can find giant rolls of industrial plastic, usually found at Home Depot or Lowes. A roll of plastic only runs about 5 to 10 dollars and can cover quite a bit. After you have the plastic you can decide whether or not you want it on the inside or outside of your house. No, I am not suggesting you cover your entire house in plastic. Taking the plastic and placing it around all of the windows located in your house can make a substantive difference in your bill. If you do not want a bunch of staple holes in your finish wood, using tape to put it up works just as fine. If you choose to use a staple gun, taking newspaper and using it to line the borders of the plastic will allow you to easily remove the plastic when spring comes. The newspaper also helps to keep your house from looking damaged by the staples.
2. Blankets, seriously?
It’s true. Blankets not only keep you warm, they are also a great way to help keep your house warm. Hanging a blanket in between rooms is a great way to cut back on a heater usage. This allows for any chosen room to become better insulated, keeping any heat inside for a longer period of time. Most people usually have a few spare blankets lying around. Use them to place in between rooms and over any poorly weather-stripped window.
3. Seal the Cracks
Take a moment to go out and get some weather stripping. This handy little tape makes a HUGE difference when used correctly. Since you won’t be planning to open any windows for a while i’m sure, take the time to go through your home and look for any windows that may be leaking air or are not properly sealed. In the middle of winter a small air flow can effect your heat bill, so by spending a few dollars early on and taking care or any potential leaks in your windows will ensure you have a warm winter. It can also be more effective to weather strip the windows, then plastic them.
