Tips for Staying Warm This Winter

As arctic blasts of winter continue across much of the nation and Colorado, here are some reminders about several easy ways to keep your home warm this winter and reduce energy bills.

Turn the thermostat down. Residents can save about 3 percent on heating bills for every 1 degree reduction. When not at home, or at night, keep the setting between 60-65 degrees. At home, keep the setting between 66-70 degrees.
Seal leaks and cracks, especially around windows and doors. Caulking and weather-stripping reduce uncomfortable drafts and high utility bills.
Check and replace furnace filters regularly. A dirty furnace filter makes your furnace work harder to push air through it and raises the energy bill.
Wrap water heaters with an insulation blanket, it saves money and is easy to buy and install.
Insulate the first 3 feet of hot and cold water pipes going into and out of the water heater. The metal pipes going into and out of a water heater conduct heat up and out of the heater into the air. Foam pipe insulation is cheap, easy to install and helps control the heat loss.

Tips gather from the Colorado LEAP website - LEAP is a state program that provides cash assistance to Coloradans who struggle to pay their winter home heating bills. The benefits are distributed to those with the highest heating bills and lowest incomes by family size.