In observance of the current Energy Costs Day, American Electric Power Ohio supplied easy tips for residents to make their properties extra power environment friendly.
“National Cut Your Energy Costs Day is a great day to make a list of what you can change in your home to create energy and financial savings this winter,” said AEP Ohio Managing Director of Customer Experience Jon Williams. “By following these tips, you can make a difference in how much energy you use for home heating.”
AEP Ohio’s top tips include:
- Caulk, seal, and apply weather strips to openings from your home to the outside.
- Service your heating system annually to maintain peak performance and avoid winter breakdowns.
- Heat pump systems are environmentally friendly, super-efficient and cost effective when operated properly. Small (2 degree) thermostat setting changes are the key to low cost operation.
- Replace or clean system filters at the frequency recommended by the manufacturer.
- Unless your fireplace is equipped specifically for home heating, use it sparingly. Warm air escapes through the chimney.
- Install a humidifier and set it at 35% to 40% humidity in the winter. This will help your home feel warmer at a lower temperature setting.
- Vacuum or dust air registers regularly and make sure they’re not blocked by obstacles like furniture.
- Lower the thermostat during the day when no one is home and overnight while you are sleeping.
- Open draperies and shades on south-facing windows to allow more sunlight and heat during the day, but remember to close them at night.
AEP Ohio customers can view their daily and month-to-month energy usage, learn their highest usage day and sign up for high bill alerts on AEP Ohio’s Energy Dashboard. They can log onto AEPOhio.com/Account to explore this tool.
With the winter weather comes home fire risks and the dangers of safely heating your home.
Fire safety tips
More than half of all home heating fires occur in the winter months and State Fire Marshal Kevin S. Reardon urges Ohioans to keep loved ones safe this winter by utilizing these helpful tips from the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal’s Office and Manufactured Home Program.
“It may be tempting to use alternative heating right now, but it is also important to do so safely,” mentioned Reardon. “The use of alternative heating sources can greatly increase the chance of a fire occurring. By following some basic safety tips, you can keep yourself and your family safe during this winter weather.”
In addition to strategies for different heating security, the State Fire Marshal’s workplace presents these tips:
- Use kerosene heaters and house heaters in response to the producer’s directions.
- Alternative warmth sources want their house. Keep something flamable not less than three ft away.
- Make certain your different warmth sources have ‘tip switches’ These are designed to routinely flip off the heater within the occasion they tip over.
- Do not use your kitchen’s oven or vary to warmth your own home. In addition to being a hearth hazard, it may be a supply of poisonous fumes.
- Never refill an area heater whereas it’s working or nonetheless scorching.
- Refuel heaters open air.
- Make certain wooden stoves are correctly put in, and not less than three ft away from something that would burn. Ensure they’ve the right flooring help and enough air flow.
- Be cautious when utilizing candles. Keep the flame away from flamable objects and out of the attain of kids.
- Make sure that your own home’s smoke alarms are in correct working order.
- Smoke alarms needs to be put in on each degree of your own home and inside and out of doors of sleeping areas.
- All smoke alarms needs to be examined month-to-month, and batteries changed not less than twice a yr.
- If you have got aged or disable neighbors, examine on them commonly. Offer to check their smoke alarms and examine their properties for hearth hazards.
- Have a hearth escape plan that features two methods out and a delegated assembly place for relations as soon as they’re exterior the house.
- If there’s a hearth hydrant close to your own home, maintain it away from snow, ice and particles for straightforward entry by the fireplace division.
Manufactured owners have some further preparations for winter climate to keep up a protected place for his or her family members throughout the colder months. Additional tips for manufactured owners embrace:
- Check the underbelly/backside board of the house for rips or tears. If there are rips or tears and there’s a lack of insulation, restore utilizing merchandise accepted to be used with manufactured properties both within the product’s info or within the producer’s set up directions for the house.
- Check the skirting across the house to verify it’s intact and undamaged. Various occasions could cause harm to the skirting of the house (e.g., animals, yard work, climate), which might permit chilly air to succeed in the underbelly/backside board of the house and enhance the danger of a house’s pipes freezing throughout chilly temperatures.
- Check water pipes for enough electrical warmth tape, which helps stop your pipes from freezing in chilly temperatures.
- Make certain nothing (e.g., furnishings, paper, and so forth.) is masking/blocking your heating vents.
- Use draft stoppers to maintain gusts of chilly air from slipping in beneath your doorways. You should buy them at a ironmongery store or create your personal by filling a material tube with newspaper or just utilizing a rolled-up towel or blanket.
- Consider including curtains/blinds in entrance of doorways or home windows.
- Check electrical shops that may let warmth escape your own home, particularly if cracked. To stop heat air from leaking by way of your electrical shops, flip off the electrical energy to the outlet, take away {the electrical} plates, and reseal the insides with caulk to maintain heat air indoors.
Call the Manufactured Homes Program, 1-800-686-1526, or go to com.ohio.gov/MH.aspx if in case you have questions or considerations. Additional security tips can be found from the State Fire Marshal’s Office at com.ohio.gov/hearth.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency additionally recommends Ohioans be prepared for all disasters by take these further preparedness steps to be disaster prepared for 2022:
- Make an emergency equipment. These transportable kits ought to embrace meals, water, medicines, prescriptions, money, radios, flashlights and different requirements. It can be really helpful that you’ve got hand sanitizer and face masks included in your equipment, to assist stop the unfold of coronavirus. Keep an emergency equipment in your automotive in case you might be stranded and embrace an additional set of clothes and blankets for the winter months.
- Sign-up for emergency alerts in your space. It’s vital to know how you can get info when a disaster occurs. Local radio and tv stations present info on how you can keep protected and discover non permanent shelter.
- Budget for a disaster. Financially put together for the brand new yr. Find out how with the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit. Start to develop an emergency fund in the present day so you possibly can cowl any sudden adjustments in your day-to-day life.
- Check your insurance coverage insurance policies. Understand what your insurance policies cowl in case of main disasters and discuss to your agent to be sure you’re adequately insured towards the dangers you might face. Snap footage of your property and make a listing. Having a transparent file of what you personal will make the insurance coverage course of simpler.
- Protect your valuables. Store valuable belongings, corresponding to pictures or heirlooms, in harm proof containers so that you don’t threat shedding them completely. Also maintain copies of your essential paperwork protected and safe in case of emergency.
Visit www.Ready.gov/decision for extra info on how one can resolve to be prepared.
