How to Save Money on your Bills during Winter

Having a home means being able to take care of it and paying all your bills. Today, everything you consume costs money and the bills are getting bigger and bigger, especially during the winter time. For the people that live in cold climates or with a hard winter, the heating costs can be really big. But there are tricks to save some money and, at the same time, increasing the comfort in your home. 

Let’s take windows for example. If they are old, they have a bad look and they let the heat bleed out of your home. But if you have a double or tripled glazed window, then the heat will stay in and you will not consume as much money on heating. If you can not afford to change the windows with new ones you can start by finding the gaps in the frames and fill them up. Do not leave any empty holes.  
 
You can also use some wing nuts to secure the frame in place. You can take down the frames when spring comes and store them somewhere. Put double sided tape on the frame of the window. This tape is really cheap and you can find it in any local store. This solution is proper for older homes where people do not afford to invest in new windows.

Plus, the windows that are facing south are assets during winter time. If you keep the drapes opened in morning or afternoon you will get direct sunlight and it will warm up your home. If you wash the windows before winter, there will be no dust film to prevent the sun rays from coming in. 

You also have to keep the drapes and the furniture away from the heating vents because you do not want to warm up a piece of wood instead of the air from your room. Also, make sure that each year you get the furnace inspected. Do this because you do not want any accidents to happen and also because it is a great way to keep the air flowing.  
 
Change the filters of the furnace too. In winter time the filters must be changed once a month. You could also turn down the heat when you leave for work or when you are not at home. This way you will save a lot on your heating bills. Make sure that the exterior walls that have electrical outlets are insulated. You can buy an insulation package and do that by yourself if you want. It is really easy. On the doors, place some weather strips to prevent the air from leaking out. Replace them when they are damaged.  

There are other cold spots in the house near the range hood and the fireplace. So verify the fireplace to make sure everything is ok and close it when you are not using it because you do not want the cold air to get in like that. The range hood above the stove can also bring some cold air and this is why you have to block it with some plastic and magnetic strips. But make sure that everybody in the house knows that there is a plastic placed there and they should take it off before using the hood.  

You can also place the water tank thermostat at about 55 degrees Celsius and install a small tank insulation kit. This kit will insulate the hot water pipes.