Winter Energy Saving Tips and Safety

The cold weather is upon us and it’s time to prepare your home to handle the icy, winter climate. We’re giving you some general tactics to save energy and money this winter season. Whether you’re looking to make small changes around your home without cost or find an inexpensive way to enhance your homes’ energy saving abilities, we’re here to help!
– For drafty windows and doors, use a heavy-duty plastic sheet on a doorframe or tape plastic film to the inside of window frames. Ensure the seal is tight to help reduce cold air access.
– You can also seal leaks by adding caulk or weather-stripping to doors and windows.
– Use an infrared thermometer to find drafts in windows and ceilings.
– Schedule service for your heating system to be sure everything is in working order before the weather gets extremely cold.
– For your furnace, replace the filter once a month or as needed.
– When you’re not burning a fire, keep your fireplace damper closed to prevent cold airflow from entering the house.
– If you refrain from using your fireplace, permanently plug and seal the chimney flute.
– Lower the temperature in the entire house and use space heaters for specific rooms you frequent to reduce your heating bill. – Refer to our Holiday Lighting Safety and Efficiency Blog for tips on lowering your holiday lighting costs.

Winter Energy Safety Tips

– If you have a generator or use one in the winter months, always put it outside away from doors, windows or vents. The exhaust from generators can be highly toxic.
– In the winter months, radon levels can be high when windows and doors are kept closed for long periods of time. Test your home for radon levels with a home test kit from local home improvement stores.
– Insulate pipes to avoid them from freezing and bursting from extreme low temperatures.
– Be sure to have a fire extinguisher handy when using a wood-burning fireplace.
We hope you utilize these tips and safety measures this winter to save money and stay safe!
 

Sources
Energy.gov
www3.epa.gov
Other Disclaimers – 1. Disclaimers Applicable To Any Marketing Piece Containing Outside Information Sources and/or Forward Looking Statements (other than financial projections which is not within scope of this guidance)

AEP Energy does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, freedom from error, or value of any information herein. The information presented is provided “as is”, “as available”, and for informational purposes only, speaks only to events or circumstances on or before the date it is presented, and should not be construed as advice, a recommendation, or a guarantee of future results. AEP Energy disclaims any and all liabilities and warranties related hereto, including any obligation to update or correct the information herein. Summaries and website links included herein (collectively, “Links”) are not under AEP Energy’s control and are provided for reference only and not for commercial purposes. AEP Energy does not endorse or approve of the Links or related information and does not provide any warranty of any kind or nature related thereto.

Up Next

Breathe Easier: Improving Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality

Residential

Maintaining good indoor air quality is extremely important when it comes to your health and well-being. Your indoor air quality tends to worsen during the cold winter months due to lack of fresh air flow from the outside. This can cause many issues for people who have allergies or respiratory problems. Levels of air pollutants in …

Celebrating Women in Energy

Residential

From engineers and researchers to policymakers and entrepreneurs, these trailblazing women are at the center of a movements towards a more sustainable and inclusive energy future. Women bring diverse perspectives and ideas to the forefront. We want to celebrate women who are breaking barriers and transforming energy. Below are a few women who were innovators, …