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5 ways to keep your home cozy all winter long
(StatePoint) - According to a government agency in the U.S. Federal Statistical System, heating bills for homes that use natural gas could be significantly higher this winter – perhaps by as much as 50%.
“We expect that households across the United States will spend more on energy this winter compared with the past several winters because of these higher energy prices and because we assume a slightly colder winter than last year in much of the United States,” the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in their report last month.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, price models predict this winter could be the most expensive one since 2008-09 for homes heated with natural gas. With natural gas prices expected to skyrocket by 30%, some users could expect to pay an average of $746 this winter, while those who get heat from electric sources could pay up to $1,268.
Why are prices going up?
The reason for the anticipated spike in energy prices is that fuel demand has shot up from recent lows faster than producers have increased supply. Energy prices dropped considerably last winter due to the sharp drop in demand thanks to the pandemic. The agency points out that prices have since rebounded and in some cases have reached multi-year highs thanks to both the increase in demand and the ongoing economic recovery.
The other factor affecting prices is the weather. Based on recent climate trends, colder temperatures are expected, which will not only boosts the energy your home needs to stay comfortable but quickly raises demand for those resources as well. Dwellers will be stuck burning more fuel to keep warm as well as paying more for it.
Weatherizing your home or apartment to ensure it stays comfortable during the long winter season is a great way to help control possible increased costs on your utility bills. Here are five easy ways to keep your home cozy all winter long.
1. Maximize Heating Options
Unpredictable weather can cause outages, so it’s best to prepare with alternative ways to heat your home. A log fireplace is wonderful, but for those without one, it may be best to invest in a gas heating alternative, like an individual heater or small generator. 2. Temperature Control
Bringing those utility bills down means keeping the warm air inside. Shifts in temperature can cause wood to expand or contract, creating small cracks or leaks which need to be filled. Duck Brand Foam Weatherstrip Seals form the perfect barrier from drafts with self-adhesive foam strips to ensure utility bills remain low with minimum effort and maximum savings. These heavy-duty strips also provide protection year-round by blocking dust, pollen and insects. 3. Swap Your Furnace Filter
Trapped dust and dirt in your furnace filter can cause low airflow and limit your furnace’s ability to properly function when you need it most. This can unnecessarily raise the temperature and cause your energy bills to skyrocket. A simple filter change on your furnace and even air conditioning units as often as once a month can help maintain excellent airflow. 4. Create a Barrier in the Garage
While many homeowners concentrate on preventing drafts by their front door; they often forget about the largest opening in their house – the garage. Protect against snow, water and cool winter air from entering your garage with a Duck Brand Garage Bottom Seal. This heavy-duty, waterproof rubber seal won’t freeze or crack, and creates a tight, protective border all year long. 5. Cover Exterior Access Locations
Built-in pet doors and mail slots often go overlooked. Lower your energy bill by covering those spaces and opt for alternative options when taking out your pets and receiving mail. For more information, visit DuckBrand.com. Staying prepared for any shift in weather is always something homeowners should prioritize. With some quick tricks and the right products on hand, weatherizing your home doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to keep you and your family warm.
Unpredictable weather can cause outages, so it’s best to prepare with alternative ways to heat your home. A log fireplace is wonderful, but for those without one, it may be best to invest in a gas heating alternative, like an individual heater or small generator. 2. Temperature Control
Bringing those utility bills down means keeping the warm air inside. Shifts in temperature can cause wood to expand or contract, creating small cracks or leaks which need to be filled. Duck Brand Foam Weatherstrip Seals form the perfect barrier from drafts with self-adhesive foam strips to ensure utility bills remain low with minimum effort and maximum savings. These heavy-duty strips also provide protection year-round by blocking dust, pollen and insects. 3. Swap Your Furnace Filter
Trapped dust and dirt in your furnace filter can cause low airflow and limit your furnace’s ability to properly function when you need it most. This can unnecessarily raise the temperature and cause your energy bills to skyrocket. A simple filter change on your furnace and even air conditioning units as often as once a month can help maintain excellent airflow. 4. Create a Barrier in the Garage
While many homeowners concentrate on preventing drafts by their front door; they often forget about the largest opening in their house – the garage. Protect against snow, water and cool winter air from entering your garage with a Duck Brand Garage Bottom Seal. This heavy-duty, waterproof rubber seal won’t freeze or crack, and creates a tight, protective border all year long. 5. Cover Exterior Access Locations
Built-in pet doors and mail slots often go overlooked. Lower your energy bill by covering those spaces and opt for alternative options when taking out your pets and receiving mail. For more information, visit DuckBrand.com. Staying prepared for any shift in weather is always something homeowners should prioritize. With some quick tricks and the right products on hand, weatherizing your home doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to keep you and your family warm.
CHICAGO -- Forecasters are predicting another season of cold, wet weather for Illinois and the upper Midwest this winter, which could bring some high energy bills.
The National Weather Service, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, and the Old Farmer's Almanac are all calling for a snowier-than-usual season, with major storms possible in January and February.
Illinoisans are being advised to take steps now to make their homes and businesses more energy-efficient.
Whitney Hayes, research analyst for the nonprofit advocacy group Elevate, said folks who heat with gas should prepare to dig deep into their wallets.
"There's a couple of things going on with gas prices, one of which is the cost of gas itself," Hayes pointed out. "And so, that does fluctuate depending on the market and depending on what's going on in the world. I mean, gas prices globally are up, it's not just the U.S."
The nonprofit Citizens Utility Board said natural gas prices have doubled or tripled in the past two years, and gas futures just hit a 14-year high. Analysts estimate for November through March, natural gas customers can expect to pay between $1,200 and $1,400 to heat their homes.
Hayes pointed out homeowners could save a significant amount on their energy bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions by switching to electric appliances. While it is not something everyone can afford, she stressed making even minor changes can cut costs.
"Even small things like making sure that there's air sealing around windows and doors, electrical sockets," Hayes outlined. "Even those things can add up when you kind of seal it in -- almost 10% of energy savings -- by doing those small little things."
Hayes added higher gas bills are often a result of regulators allowing utilities to pass along cost increases they incur in what they pay for gas, and the cost of maintaining and expanding the equipment they use to deliver it. She explained both can increase a ratepayer's bottom line.
"In the U.S., and especially in the Illinois-Chicago area, there's a lot of infrastructure costs that people are paying for," Hayes noted. "Gas companies have made all these plans to improve the infrastructure, so that gets funneled down into people's bills."
Three years ago, Madigan celebrated his record as the longest-serving state House speaker in U.S. history. Today, it looks as if his grip on power is slipping. As of this writing, 19 state representatives have publicly opposed Madigan’s re-election this January. But these lawmakers won’t just be voting on Madigan: they’ll also vote to adopt the House Rules, which help determine how much control the speaker has over the legislative process. These rules, coupled with the lack of safeguards against this steady accumulation of power, have led Madigan to where he is today. Without change, a shrewd politician could simply pick up where Madigan left off.
The House Rules establish how business gets done in the legislature. These rules let the speaker decide which bills get a fair hearing and which quietly die. They allow the speaker to select which politicians receive generous stipends as committee chairs. They allow politicians to gut and replace bills to rush through legislation – such as all 1,581 pages of the $40.6 billion fiscal year 2020 budget, originally a single-sentence bill appropriating just $2.
And, contrary to the Illinois Senate, which sets term limits of the Senate president at 10 years, the House Rules do not limit the number of terms a speaker can hold. Terms as speaker should be limited to prevent another Madigan.
This January, state representatives should reject the current House Rules. They can and should be amended.
But change can’t end there. Illinois needs to reform the way it draws political maps. Every 10 years, Illinois is required to redraw voting districts to adjust for shifts in population. But redistricting in Illinois has been used to keep incumbents in power. Earlier this month, 63 candidates ran unopposed for legislative office, including a whopping 52 of the 118 seats in the Illinois House of Representatives. This result is entirely predictable: Illinois legislators are responsible for voting on the map, so of course they will do what they can to benefit themselves. And Madigan’s bid for a new term has centered on his argument that he has the power to deliver another map that keeps his people from facing opponents.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Illinois could join the 17 other states that put independent commissions or other bodies in charge of redistricting – not lawmakers. Voters should choose their elected officials, not the other way around.
There needs to be more transparency and accountability in Springfield. Sitting lawmakers should not be able to lobby local governments or state executive agencies, and they should have a “cooling off” period after leaving the General Assembly before they lobby their former peers, as is the case in most other states. Lawmakers need to provide more detailed financial disclosures and should have to recuse themselves from voting on legislation in which they have a conflict of interest. Finally, the legislative inspector general needs the authority to open investigations and publish findings of wrongdoing without obtaining permission from lawmakers on the Legislative Ethics Commission, who have a propensity to cover for their own.
Madigan may be down, but he’s not out. Whether he can win back enough votes to get a 19th term as speaker remains to be seen, but Illinoisans deserve ethics reform no matter what. Changing the House Rules, adopting fair maps and instituting ethics reforms would begin unraveling Madigan’s web of corruption.
