Minimizing Your Power Bill During the Winter Months

While Thanksgiving and Christmas are a time filled with happiness and family togetherness, the winter months can be costly where your gas and electric bills are concerned. And while many manufactured homes have a fireplace to help heat the house, there are many that do not. So how do you keep the costs of staying warm down to a dull roar when it is freezing outside?

Start by sealing up drafts in your windows. Silicone caulking can be used to seal around glass panes in windows. Make sure not to seal the window shut! Plastic sheeting can be taped to the interior wall surrounding the window to add a layer of insulation, or there is the shrink-wrap type that you apply and then use a blow dryer to heat seal the the plastic to the glass. This adds an insulating layer and a more attractive appearance than taping a plastic sheet over the entire window.

Doorways can be a culprit to let the cold in as well. A good way to find a draft is to check around your doorways in the daylight - if you can see the light, you are likely losing some heat there. Self-stick weatherstripping is a great way to fill the gap and keep the cold out.

At the hardware store, you can buy foam sheets that are pre-cut to fit behind your light switches and outlets. Most people don't realize that a lot of cold can come through those outlets. You would be surprised how often even a breeze can be felt coming in around the openings. It is a very simple process and involves simply removing the plate, fitting the foam sheet in place and screwing the plate back in place.

Even when you consider an older manufactured home for sale, these few simple preventative measures taken now can add quality and comfort and can result in real savings during the icy winter months.