When colder weather settles in, it is time to start thinking about how to “winterize” your home for a comfortable and energy efficient season.This is one area where just a little time and money can go a long way.

Start by sealing up your home.  Improperly sealed homes can waste 10 to 15 percent of the homeowner’s heating dollars.  Based on $720, what a typical Coloradoan spends heating and cooling their home, that’s up to $108 out the window.   

Check around doors, windows and outlets on exterior walls for areas where cold air can move into the home.  One way to do this is with a flashlight.  Put one person on the outside with a flashlight and one on the inside to check for areas where light can be seen.  Another way is with a candle.  Hold it near the edges of your window, door or outlet and air moving through them can be detected when the flame moves.

Most cracks and leaks are easily fixed with items like weather stripping, caulking, foam outlet covers and spray foam.  Just a few dollars and a few minutes spent applying these items can save money and increase comfort for years to come.

Another thing to consider is investing in an indoor window insulating kit.  Adding one of these inexpensive kits can increase the R-value of a single-pane window by over 90%.  (R-value is a term used by the building industry to rate the insulating properties of materials.  The higher the R-value, the greater the insulation.)  Another way to help insulate windows is to use thermal curtain panels and keep them shut during colder periods.

Don’t overlook the energy used by your water heater.  A blanket for your water heater keeps the heat where you want it- in the tank and can save $10- 25 per year.  Also, adding pipe wrap to the first few feet of both the hot and cold water pipes coming off of the heater will cost $5 and save you close to $5 every year.Both are investments that keep on paying dividends as you only have to do it once.