Winter Energy Tips + Protect Your Pipes

Winter energy tips

Follow these tips to keep your hard-earned energy dollars from escaping your home.

• Set your heating thermostat no higher than 68 degrees. Each degree above 68 adds as much as four percent to your bill.

• Dress in layers to retain body heat.

• Keep delivery and return vents open in rooms you use and closed in those you don’t.

• Keep central heating air filters clean.

• Close garage doors.

• Add weather stripping and insulation to your home to prevent air from escaping.


Protect your pipes from freezing

Freezing temperatures make your pipes vulnerable to the effects of cold weather. Therefore, you must protect your pipes from freezing temperatures.

• Open interior cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer air, turn all inside faucets to a slow drip, and wrap or cover all exposed outside faucets.

• Do not turn your heat off if you are going out of town; just turn it down several degrees.

• Do not forget to insulate your above-ground water pipes, too. Pipes in the crawlspace or basement under your house could be susceptible to a deep freeze; therefore, pipe insulation is always important. Water heater pipes in the attic should be insulated, as well.