How to Stay Warm Prepare your home for cold weather expected this weekend in North Carolina

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) — After a few seasonal days, the cold returns with a vengeance. Temperatures are on the way down this weekend.

It’s time to prepare your home for the cooler temperatures.

According to Duke Energyhere are more tips to stay warm and help lower your energy bill:

• Reduce your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting. Most are comfortable at 68 to 70 degrees.
• One of the easiest things customers can do to increase heating efficiency is to change air filters regularly.
• Leave curtains or blinds open on sunny winter days to let the sun’s rays warm the house, but close them at night to help insulate your home.
• One of the best energy-saving habits you can do each year is to check windows, doors and vents for air leaks.
• Replace standard bulbs with LEDs LEDs are more efficient than regular bulbs and emit the same light.
• In winter, operate ceiling fans clockwise, which push warm air back into the room.
• Manage water heating. Set your water heater to 120 degrees or less.

Inside your home, open the cabinet doors with full pipes on the outer walls, and keep the faucet running. You need a drizzle the width of a pencil.

You should also put away your water hoses. You’ll also want to apply a cover to your exposed exterior pipes—a piece of foam or a pool noodle will do the job.

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