Homeowners: How to Stay Warm and Cozy and Prepare for this Coming Winter

Fall is in the air and cooler temperatures will be the norm for next few months. While you may enjoy these cooler brisk temperatures, winter will be sure to bring chillier days and nights. As temperatures drop, we’ll show you cost-effective ways to stay warm and keep the cold out.

3 Ways to Stay Warm Outside

Dress Warmly

The key to dressing warmly in the winter is layers. Wear thin, warm layers to help insulate your body heat. And if you get too hot, it’s easy to cool down by removing layers.

Your layers should include a base layer (clothing that touches your skin and manages moisture), an insulating layer (outer layer that keeps heat in) and shell layer (outermost layer that protects you from wind and rain).

In addition to choosing appropriate layers, remember to wear hats, gloves, and shoes, to retain body heat.

Eat and Drink Hot Foods and Drinks

Hot coffee or soup are great ways to help warm your body from the inside out. Warm foods and liquids provide instant warmth as they make their way down to the core of your body. In your stomach, these foods and liquids will give your body fuel to produce more body heat. Enjoy a warm winter treat and help your body stay warm.

Use Your Body Heat

Stay active! It’s easy during the winter months to hide under the blankets, but exercise and moving around help produce body heat that can help keep you warm. Stick to your normal exercise routine or try a winter activity like cross-country skiing. You’ll be surprised how quick you work up a sweat exercising in the cold and you may even enjoy it more than your exercise in the summer months.

3 Ways to Stay Warm Indoors

Once you’ve braved the cold outdoor weather, you want to come home to a nice, warm house. We’ll you some tips to keep your home warm and cozy and keep your energy costs low.

Winterfy your Home

Seal any drafty areas in your home. Check your windows, doors, and any other openings to your home to make sure you keep the cold out and the heat in. If you have fireplace, winter is a great time to start a fire to warm up the house. Open the chimney flueu to let the smoke escape, but when you are not using your fireplace, remember to close your flueu to stop cold air from blowing in. Also, according to Air Control, a HVAC company that works with gas and furnace filters, you will also want to replace your furnace filter to optimize your heating system this winter.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat helps regulate your home’s temperature and save on your energy bill. Energy.gov recommends that you should set your thermostat for 68 degrees when you’re at home and 56 degrees when you’re away. This action alone can save you 5% to 15% on your heating bill annually.

Open Curtains in the Day, Close them at Night

When you wake up in the morning open your curtains for FREE heat! Sunlight that comes in through your windows bounces off the room and warms up your house. For FREE! Once the sun goes down, keep the heat inside and close your curtains to trap in the heat.