Weatherproofing: Staying Warm in the Winter Without Emptying Your Wallet

September 26th, 2011 by Caitlin Morgan| Posted in Apartment Guide, Apartment Interiors, Apartment Life 2.0, Apartment Living, College Housing, Etsy & DIY, Green Apartment Living, Healthy Apartments, Off Campus Apartments, Saving Money, Tips & Tricks | No Comments »

It’s that time of year!  The time when mornings are crisper and you begin to think about frost creeping over your windowpane.  (Unless you live in Texas, in which case you’re probably just ecstatic that it’s not 110 degrees out.)   With the temperature changing and the winter months quickly approaching, it’s good to start thinking about weatherproofing.  Weatherproofing, you say?  Why?  I didn’t freeze to death last year!  Ah, but chances are, you paid bigger energy bills than necessary.   In the spirit of economy, conservation, and—what the heck—Christmas, consider making these small investments so you can enjoy the winter snug as a bug in a well-insulated rug.

Weather-strip your windows

Cracks between windows and walls?  Prime place for air to leak in or out, and either way, you’re paying to heat the outdoors, as they say.  (A remarkably apt saying, given recent increases in climate change!)  Laying down weather-strips is a simple and inexpensive way to reduce your heating bill right off the bat.  There are numerous kinds of stripping, so do a little research and pop by your local hardware store to get outfitted.

Update your storm windows

Speaking of windows, if you live in a cold place, you should be installing storm windows every fall—again, so as to heat your house and only your house.  Newer windows are two or three times thicker than older models, so it might be worth upgrading your normal windows, especially if you live in a warm place and use air conditioning; heat flows in both directions.  But at the very least, make sure your storm windows are up before the storms start, so that you and your family won’t be tempted to congregate in the middle of all your rooms, far from the heat-sucking glass lurking in every wall.

Turn down the thermostat, turn up the sweater

This is a no-cost, very simple way to keep fuel consumption and energy costs down—a real win-win.   And yet, many people can’t quite bring themselves to make this small change.  Try our tip:  start at the beginning of the season.  Whatever setting you normally keep your thermostat, set it 4 degrees lower, as soon as you begin turning your heat on.  That way, your body will accept the setting as natural, rather than much colder than you kept it yesterday.  And you’ll get more wear out of those cute sweaters that are filling up your closet.

Insulate your body

Sweaters are great; sweaters, rugs, and warm sheets are better.  If you don’t want to spring for radiant floor heating, at least throw down some rugs so that your chilly tile floors don’t make you want to leave the heat on 90.  And make up your bed with warm flannel sheets—not only will you not mind sleeping in a house that’s a few degrees cooler, you’ll be thinking about how cozy your bedroom is all day long.

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