Winter is coming. There’s nothing we can do about that but there’s plenty we can do to prepare our homes.
We’ve already covered ways to protect your home from the outside, now it’s time to focus on what we can do indoors.
The best part is that a lot of what we can do is very easy on the wallet and could end up saving us money in the short and long term.
Here are the top 5 simple ways to keep you warm this winter:
CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS
The ideal time to clean out the eaves troughs around your roof is after the bulk of the leaves have fallen off the trees but before the first snow.Making sure the eaves troughs are clear will prevent ice dams and icicles to form, preventing damage to the troughs themselves and potential the roof as well.
COST: Zilch! Other than a little time and energy.
TURN YOUR CEILING FANS CLOCKWISE
Most know how the use of ceiling fans can help with summer cooling and reducing the need for air conditioner use but the same principle applies during the winter months.Setting your ceiling fans to run slowly clockwise pushes warm air down, helping reduce the need for your furnace to work so hard. Going counter-clockwise isn’t as effective and make sure to keep it at a low speed.
COST: Nadda! In fact, it could save money by lowering your home heating bill more than the amount of electricity it takes to have the fans on
WINDOW INSULATION FILM
It scores a poor grade aesthetically but you might not care once you learn that properly installing these on your windows can prevent about 70% of heat from escaping your home. This not only keeps you toasty but can also lower your home heating bill by reducing the strain on your furnace.
COST: Peanuts! It costs around $20 per kit from your local hardware store
CHANGE FURNACE FILTER
This is something that’s recommended be done every 3 months, but if you’re not that on top of these things at least make sure you change them before each winter. A fresh filter can not only clean the air you breathe, it can also improve the efficiency of your furnace, keeping you warmer for less.
COST: Worth it. It costs approximately $40 per pack (2-4 filters)
FLUSH YOUR WATER HEATER
Another annual winter maintenance task you could do yourself is removing built-up particles and sediment from your hot water tank. You can follow instructions online but if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself call a professional plumber.
COST: Zero pennies! (if done yourself)
Erie Mutual Insurance proudly serves the commercial insurance, farm insurance, home insurance and auto insurance needs of members throughout Southern Ontario including Haldimand, Niagara and Hamilton.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about this or any other topic related to your insurance.
