Keep your home warm without breaking the bank
The greater Houston area is still experiencing cooler temperatures this winter, and keeping your house warm during the winter can get expensive. That cost is expected to be even higher than the last two winters according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration due to expected colder temperatures and costlier energy prices. Suggested fixes for keeping your home well insulated can also be a hit to your wallet.
Accordingly, the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas is sharing a few tips to keep your home warm without breaking the bank:
• Consider home improvement options. If insulating your home or installing a more energy-efficient heater is in your budget, you may check with the BBB at BBBHouston.org to find Accredited Businesses and to read business profiles and verified customer reviews.
• Let light into your home. If it’s a sunny day, use the earth’s natural heat source to warm up your home. Open curtains and blinds during the day to save money on both lighting and heating. Close the curtains as soon as the sun sets to help keep your home insulated against the cold night air. Invest in good curtains that are lined, such as sun-blocking curtains, for best results.
• Let the oven do double duty. Using the oven can warm up a room. While it may be ill-advised during the warmer months, because it causes your air conditioning unit to work harder, it is perfect for colder months. When you’re done cooking or baking in the oven, leave it ajar as it cools down, allowing the heat to spread throughout your home.
• Cover floors with area rugs. Warm air can be escaping through your floorboards, but insulating under your house could be costly. Use plush area rugs to insulate your floors and keep your feet warm.
• Check doors around your home. Homeowners should inspect the caulking around windows and doors and check for cracking and peeling. In addition, BBB recommends ensuring that doors and windows shut tightly so no cold air can enter due to worn down weather stripping.
• Keep doors to unused rooms shut. Rooms that are not currently in use don’t need to be warm. Keeping the doors closed cuts down on the amount of spaced that needs to be warmed by your heating unit and helps insulate the rest of the house from cold air.
• Use a fireplace or seal it. Sitting around a toasty fire can be a perfect way to stay warm during the winter. Rearrange your furniture so your favorite chair gets the best warmth from the fire, but be careful not to get too close as it can be a fire hazard.
If your fireplace is decorative, make sure it is sealed thoroughly, as it can be an area where warm air escapes and cold air enters the home.
The Better Business Bureau is an unbiased nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews and BBB Wise Giving Reports to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. For information or to check the reliability of a company and find trustworthy businesses, visit www.bbbhouston.org, which includes our BBB Accredited Business Directory, or call 713-868-9500. Leah Napoliello is senior director of Investigative Services with the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas. Send questions regarding homeowner issues to Leah Napoliello, Better Business Bureau, 1333 West Loop South, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77027, or e-mail her at lnapoliello@bbbhou.org. Include mailing address and phone number on letters and emails.