ENID, OK - Winters can be very cold in Oklahoma. You want to stay warm but also want to avoid a huge heating bill. Here are 20 tips to keeping warm this winter while keeping your heating costs down.
1: Lower home temps at bedtime.
Before bedtime, turn the temperature in the house down quite low. Climb into warm beds with plenty of blankets and wear warm pajamas.
2: Dress warmly around the house.
Dress in warm, comfortable clothes around the house. Dress in layers in case you get warm or cold.
3: Closing off rooms.
Close the doors and vents in unused rooms for the winter. Be aware of rooms with plumbing in case the pipes freeze.
4: Have blankets available in every room.
Have two or three blankets sitting around that are easily available just to grab if you feel cold. Pile them around you if you get cold.
5: Make sure windows are sealed.
Check the windows in your house. See if you can feel any exceptionally cool air coming in. If so, seal them.
6: Make sure doors have weather strips.
Look for big leaks along the edges of the doors in your home, particularly along the bottom. Adding a weatherstrip.
7: Add draft blockers to doors.
Block a big draft at the bottom of a door with a large piece of cloth. A rolled-up blanket will work fine.
8: Run ceiling fans on low in a clockwise direction.
Run your ceiling fan on low with the blades running in a clockwise direction to pull air upward, which pushes the air sitting on the ceiling down along the walls.
9: Eat warm meals.
Eat warm meals cooked in the home They will elevate your internal temperature. Cooking also contributes heat to your house.
10: Take warm showers or baths.
A hot shower or a warm bath will make you feel much warmer on a cold day. Have a thick towel to dry off with and a warm robe to slip on after getting out.
11: Wear house slippers.
If your feet are cold you'll feel cold. Keep your feet warm with comfortable house slippers and socks.
12: Wear a hat.
Wear a hat around the house during the day. It keeps your ears and your head really warm.
13: Drink warm beverages.
Drink coffee or hot cider or hot tea during the day on cold day. It will help warm you from the inside out.
14: Move around, or exercise.
Simply moving around helps keep you warm. Do housework that involves moving around, or even do some basic exercises like walking up and down the stairs.
15: Minimize the time doors are open.
Keep doors closed as much as possible. Cold air can rush in quicker than you might think.
16: Cover windows that don’t face sunlight.
Windows that aren’t exposed to sunlight should be covered with blinds or curtains. This helps block out any extra cold. Windows with sunlight will let in extra heat.
17: Spend time together in the same room.
Sit close to other people. Stay in the same room with the people in your home so that your ambient body heat helps keep them warm, too.
18: Take hot water to bed.
Fill up a water bottle with really warm water and toss it under the covers of your bed just before you get into bed.
19: Have warm things near your bed.
Keep slippers, robes, hoodies and other warm clothes beside your bed. Put them on when you get up!
20: Move furniture away from vents, registers, and radiators.
Move furniture blocking the flow of heat into the room. This wastes money and leads to cold rooms.
