Besides turning up the thermostat, what can you do to stay warm at home this winter? MGE Energy Expert Leah Samson offers simple tips for maximum comfort during the chilliest time of the year.
How to Stay Warm in Winter
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Really liked the idea of warming the person not the room especially since each of us has a unique internal comfort setting!
Nice job, Leah! I always add that folks should check around their doors for cold air leaks, which often can be easily fixed with sealer kits or even an old-fashioned door “muff” placed against the bottom.
There now are a number of battery-powered heated sweatshirts and jackets so you don’t have to be tethered to an electric blanket to stay warm!
Great tips! We recently added a weighted blanket to our bed and keep another on the couch. Amazing how just the extra weight can really keep in the heat and make you feel snugglier—no extra energy needed!
I’m a quilter, so we keep a quilt by every spot where people sit, heating the person, not the space!
Great suggestions. Letting the sun in during the day not only warms the room, but brightens the mood. Keeping night air out with closed window coverings is also so important.
Great tips. We keep nice fleecey blankets in the TV room and the living room. They are a great way to feel warm and cozy in just a few minutes.
Thank you for these tips! I just turned my space heater off and got a blanket.
Expert Samson provided excellent and easy to follow tips to stay warm during this cold winter season. It was especially helpful to be reminded to lock the windows to make a tighter seal. And putting the plastic over windows that leak air was also good. I didn’t exactly remember how I did it previously so that tutorial was great also. Thank you.
Good advice! I always go for a blanket instead of space heater!
Thanks for the tips Leah. In the basement, I had foam insulation blown into the space above the foundation walls. It made a huge improvement to my comfort and heating bills.
I like the idea of closing the curtains at night. Anything to keep the cold out!
Liked the idea of using an electric blanket to warm you up without heating the whole room. Comes in handy at night to also turn it on if you have one on your bed . Just to warm up the sheets before you get into bed Can do it while you brush your teeth etc. Takes away the initial shock and you can turn it off shortly after you get into bed
Great tips, especially sealing drafts to keep the cold out. One I would like to add is to wear socks & shoes/slippers, and an extra layer on top that can be shed when active (cleaning, playing with the kiddos or pets, exercising).
All comen sense things to do.
Thank you for the information! Didn’t know about checking the furnace filter (always lived in apts and never been responsible for the furnace). But I’ll make sure to check it ASAP!
Ask Leah!
Thanks for this list of easy-to-do tips. I particularly like the idea of using a heating pad or electric blanket in one of our rooms, which does not get as warm as it should. Thank you.
Good advice! Weatherstripping doors to the exterior is also helpful.
thanks for the tips. I love the heated blanket idea. I use that during the day when I am sitting at my desk for periods of time.
Practical, simple suggestions. I hope most of us do not have single pane windows here in WI, though. How about the insulation around our doors. This can be a significant, correctible source of draft.
These are great ideas, especially the video of how to seal plastic on a window with double sided tape & a hair dryer. Think of how well that would work in an infant’s room or in the bedroom of a frail older person. Both of those age groups face some temperature control challenges because of their age and metabolic status. Smart, thoughtful gift ideas!
I appreciate the explanation of how heating the person not the space is the most efficient way to go. I know it’s the reason why, in the summer, we turn fans off if we’re not in the room. This is the winter equivalent.
I learned several things from watching your short video
1. Keeping the person warm, not the room
2. Checking the locks on all the windows to create a tighter seal
3. Using the hair dryer to shrink the plastic window covers to make them smooth.
4. also I didn’t realize how much energy a space heater uses.
Thanks for sharing the info
Great tutorial! No matter how many times I’ve heard these tips, it’s always great to review them during the cold season. And there are always those I had not heard before (be sure to lock the window locks to keep a tight seal), and reaching for a warm blanket in lieu of turning up the heat more!
Thanks a lot!
What a great idea, especially with so many working from home!!!
Great window! I didn’t even think about turning a single pane window into a double pane just with plastic wrap. I would like to see more tips for apartments!
Great suggestions in both the video and the comments section!
Another tip is to fill the void (width of window and about 5 inches thick) at bottom of the window between the storm and interior window with a properly sized bag filled with insulation such as; cellulose fibers (crushed newspapers). This offers a dramatic and immediate reduction in drafts.
I’ve never thought about the furnace filter swap. I usually have thought about that in spring but it makes total sense to do it now when the furnace runs more frequently.
I love cozy blankets in the winter & the idea of warming the person, not the room!
Thank you for the tip for at home. What can we do to stay warm in the office?
Warm the person, not the room! Everyone has different heat preferences! My daughter is the perfect candidate for an electronic blanket as, no matter how many blankets she has over her, she is STILL cold!
Thanks for the tips!
Everyone has different heat preferences! My daughter is the perfect candidate for an electronic blanket as, no matter how many blankets she has over her, she is STILL cold!
Thanks for the tips!
Super!!! I’ve been using a heating blanket to keep warm for a long time as I live with a person who is never cold.
This is excellent advice. Me, I love having a heated blanket! I have leg cramps triggered by the cold. Cramps that require me to stand on my feet and bare weight. (Terrible disturbance to a good night’s rest.)
Keeping my feet and legs warm at night are a necessity for me.
Great information. I used to put plastic on my windows before I replaced them with new ones, and I could tell the difference. I never use an electric blanket, that might be a good idea when I am alone watching TV in the living room.
Thanks for the suggestions!
I will often walk around my condo, sometimes speedy. It is not very big but a walk to a bedroom down a hallway an into kitchen is about 100 steps. I make like 2 or 3 trips .My speed varies.
I get some exercise and am warmed up for awhile. Makes one feel good too !!!
Thanks those were helpful tips! We wear sweatshirts a lot and have blankets in every room if someone feels cold.