Keep Warm & Stay Warm without Breaking the Bank
4:18 AM Posted In Keep Warm and Stay Warm without Breaking the Bank Edit This 0 Comments »
Set your thermostat at 68. If you can go lower, do it. Right now we have the it as low at 66 before we start to feel the cold. When you turn on the heat or cool down the house, just use only what is needed. Slowly drop or increase the temperature as needed, large changes in temperature is wastefulWear layers. This means wearing long sleeves and no shorts around the house; make sure you make use of that robe you got for Christmas last year and wear your socks or slippers around so you don't lose body heat. Put on a hat or throw that ugly scarf around your neck.
Drink warm liquids. One of the quickest ways to warm up is to heat up your insides by drinking warm water, milk, tea, coffee or hot chocolate.
Use the drapes to your advantage. My partner likes to tie back the curtains to let the sunlight and heat in, but the minute the sun starts to go down, I go around and let the drapes close to keep the cold air out and the warm air in.
Use your stove. A little bit of oven heat can go a long way to warm up a room, so have the oven due double duty for baking and heating your home.
Wash and dry your clothes. Whether you use a machine to dry or an indoor line, the heat from the dryer and the humidity from line drying can assist in keeping the house warm
Keep your bathroom door open. Keep your door open while you shower, if this is possible, to let the warm steam out into your home as a heating assistant.
Close up your fireplace. If you aren't using the fireplace to heat your home, make sure the damper is closed so that warm air is not escaping up and out of your home.
Close the door. Keep the doors to bathrooms, bedrooms, basements closed when you aren't in them to keep the heat in your main living area. The smaller area you have to heat the quicker it will warm up.
Roll up towels. In my home I have rolled up a towel and placed it at the bottom of the front door to keep the wind from howling through and cold air from escaping. Don't forget to use it for window sills as well.
Cover up your window air conditioner. If you can't take the a/c out of your window, make sure that you have sealed it up well in the window and covered the vents so no cold air gets in.
Home-made heating sock. Fill a sock with rice or wheat, tie up the end, heat in the microwave for a few seconds, and use it as a heating pad.
Plastic wrap your home. You can buy plastic window covering to go up on the inside of your windows and keep the heat in.
Install a ceiling fan. This can be helpful to circulate the hot air that rises, down with the cooler air you walk around in.
Wrap yourself up. Electric throws (like small electric blankets) can keep you warm enough that the heat can be off completely in the room. Think about it as really concentrating your utility use to just your body. And don't forget to turn it off.
Replace your weather stripping. The minimal amount it takes to repair in comparison to the savings will be well worth it. If it is old and cracked or coming off, it's time to replace.
Feel your electrical outlets. In older houses, they often leak cold air. Most home improvement stores sell inexpensive covers that easily attach behind the cover plate to block the cold.
Insulate your attic. No need for the hot air to move up and out of your home through the attic. Keep it where you need it most.
Plant trees for cover. Though trees can be a barrier to much needed sunshine, also consider them as a wall against cold howling winds.
Replace old windows. This is an expensive investment but if you are getting ice forming in the corners of your windows, the investment may be worth it in the long runear
A Scarf Around Your Neck Inside. Sounds simple, almost too simple. But this easy trick has been keeping me warm and toasty. My aunt pointed this out that her neck gets cold at work in the winter and also in the summer with the air conditioning. Just adding a scarf helps prevent arthritis and a stiff, achey neck. Try it, you'll be surprised how it helps you stay warm.
Wrap a T-shirt Around Your Neck When You're Outside. I discovered this tip to stay warm by accident. It's been one of the snowiest winters on record and I find I get quite the workout. I didn't want to have to get my scarf all covered in sweat. So I ended up taking a white t-shirt and wrapping it around my neck, shoulders and upper back underneath my turtleneck sweater. It ended up being a great sweat absorber but also an unconventional wide scarf that seemed to prevent the cold from penetrating and keeping the heat and warmth close to my body.
Shovel Snow. You would think going outside in the cold would have the opposite effect of staying warm. But after a bout of physical activity if you're bundled up warmly, you'll find yourself warmed up. This physical exercise gets the blood circulating which in turn warms the body and even when you return inside, it helps you to keep warm and stay warm for many hours later.
Do the Dishes, Do the Laundry -- more physical activities to help you stay warm. Sometimes when I'm working at my desk, I find my feet get cold from sitting in the same place for hours on end. If I force myself to get up and walk around, if only for a quick 15 minutes, it's a great way to get a few chores done and take a break at the same time. Doing the dishes the old fashioned way, by hand, warms the hands which ultimately helps you to keep warm and stay warm.
Keep Your Heart Center Warm. Whether outside or inside, invest in one of those down filled puffy vests. It's amazing how this inexpensive piece of clothing keeps the body warm. What makes it warming is by keeping the central part of your body warm and it seems somewhat counter intuitive that you can stay warm even though your arms are not covered as well. But it works and by having your arms free from too much clothing helps you to write or do activities without feeling like the Michelin man.
Wear a Night Cap or Toque. A knitted ski cap goes a long way to staying warm. We turn our thermostat down at night to save money. To prevent cold ears or waking up with a cold nose, try wearing a knit cap. At first it seems silly but when you think about it, it's a tip that's lifted straight from the depression era when people had little money for heating. It's that trick of staying warm by not letting heat escape through the equivalent of your body's chimney, the top of your head. You'll find wearing a hat or cap inside during the day will keep you warm as well.
Wear Two Pairs of Socks and Slippers. Why not wear two instead of just one pair of socks. My latest winter warmth secret I discovered at Target -- over the knee socks. Practically leotards, these ridiculously long socks help keep my legs warm. Plus my husband once bought me joke socks - fluffy, acrylic blend footies which keep my feet amazingly warm. Worn over these long socks when walking around the house, that along with slippers, helps to keep my toes from freezing and keep me warm.
Use a Space Heater or Electric Fireplace. I wondered if it's cheaper to use a space heater. I just learned in an article about Michael Bluejay's Energy Guide that this is one of the best ways to save money on your heating bill. For not a lot extra, you can now get space heaters that heat and look like a fire. There are inexpensive electric fireplaces that start at around a hundred dollars that will help you keep warm and stay warm with the look and feel of a cozy fire as easy as turning on a switch.
Keep Doors Closed to Unused Rooms. The other dead easy tip that my friends advised on keeping warm in their older house is to simply close the vents and shut the doors on some of the unused rooms. Some of this helped to redirect heat from the hallway. But I also kept doors closed in the master bedroom we were staying in to help keep the room warm instead of having the heat dissipate into the hallway.
Take a Hot Bath. If you're used to taking a shower, try a hot bath instead before you go to bed or even when you wake up on a cold morning. A bath is also a great way to warm-up your muscles. Nothing heats your inner core more effectively than a good old fashioned bath. You'll find your body keeps radiating warmth and heat long after bath time is over.
Pre-warm Your Bed With a Hot Water Bottle or Magic Bag Reusable Microwaveable Heating Pad. Here's another tip that people who come from chilly bed sits in London are all too familiar. Use a hot water bottle to preheat your bed sheets. Nowadays, the latest update on the old fashioned hot water bottle is a "Magic Bag" microwaveable heating pad. Many are made from organic material and can be used to not only heat your bed but as a heating pad to warm and soothe aching parts of your body like your neck, shoulders and lower back.
A Shot of Whiskey. There's a reason why people would take a night cap in the good ol' days. My husband came around when I was writing late into the night with a glass of scotch. I'm normally all bundled up. Within minutes my cheeks were flushed and my whole body was warm. Not only was it good for helping me to keep warm and stay warm but it warmed my soul as well.
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The North American ice storm of 1998 occurred during January 5–9, 1998. It was one of the most damaging and costly ice storms in North American history. The storm caused massive power failures in several large cities on the East Coast of the United States. The most affected area was extreme Eastern Ontario and Southwestern Quebec in Canada, where over 3 million people were without power for up to a month and a half. Whole trees snapped and electrical pylons were completely flattened under the weight of the accumulated ice.
The Northeastern United States was impacted by a major ice storm on December 11–12, 2008, which left about 1.25 million homes and businesses without power. Areas impacted with 3/4" to 1" of ice accumulation included Eastern New York in the Albany area, Central and Western Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, coastal and South Central Maine, Pennsylvania in the Pocono Mountains region, Northwestern Connecticut, and Southern Vermont.
In late January, 2009, ice storms covered several U.S. states, including Arkansas and Kentucky. Most areas affected saw over 2" of ice accumulation, and between 1"–5" of snow on top of the ice. This ice storm left well over 2 million people without power at its peak and killed 55 people, 24 in Kentucky.
Rural Water Associations in Arkansas and Kentucky activated emergency response plans to deal with power loss to small water utilities across their states. Neighboring state Rural Water Associations, including experienced emergency responders from Louisiana and Florida, loaned equipment and manpower to assist the hardest-hit areas.
My family and I live in NorthEast Arkansas and were effected by the 2009 Ice Storm. We were without electricity for 19 days. Luckily we already had a gas powered generator and a propane gas heater. We pulled out the cards and games, blankets and kerosene lamps. For water not to be consumed, we saved ice in five gallon buckets and let thaw in the house by placing pans full of ice on our gas cook stove. The picture above is of our front porch. Mind you - that is 100% ice!
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