Now that the weather has turned colder, Pamela Turner, UGA Cooperative Extension housing specialist, has tips on keeping your home toasty warm.
Methods that seem less expensive, such as warming a house using the oven or lighting a portable gas heater, aren’t necessarily going to save money. “When you use a kerosene or gas heater, you’re introducing particulate matter into your home and running the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning,” Turner said of unvented portable heaters. “Consumers are advised to leave a window open for ventilation when using an unvented heater.”
Instead of just focusing on added heat sources, consider ways to keep the cold air from coming inside. “See what you can do to reduce heat losses,” said Turner, who offered the following tips:
• Winterize your home.
“If you can see light around your window, you’re losing a lot of heat,” she said. “Caulking around windows and adding weather stripping to doors will help reduce heat losses.”
• Turn down your thermostat.
• Invest in a window insulation kit. It helps reduce heat loss by a plastic storm window that’s installed over existing windows.
