OHIO — As the coldest weather of the season spreads across Ohio, People Working Cooperatively, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit organization, has offered tips for households on a budget to help winterize their homes (PWC).
PWC tips include:
- Change your furnace filters monthly to ensure your furnace is working properly
- Be proactive and insulate vulnerable pipes in your home to avoid damage when temps drop below freezing. Take extra care to insulate pipes in areas where you have plumbing on exterior walls
- Before you crank up the heat, make sure that all the heat vents are open and uncovered. Sometimes rugs or furniture shift during mild months, covering the vents and the air can’t circulate properly
- Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature in your home. It can recognize when you’re home and away and automatically adjusts to save you money
- If you have an older house, check your level of insulation in the attic. Often, it’s been there for years and is no longer effective. Adding insulation can save your furnace from working constantly to replace lost heat. Plus, it keeps the rest of your home warmer
Additionally, the state of Ohio helps provide assistance for low-income households.
- Home Energy Assistance Program — HEAP helps low-income Ohioans of all ages pay heating and cooling bills
- Home Weatherization Assistance Program — HWAP helps qualifying low-income homeowners and renters reduce energy consumption while increasing the comfort of their homes
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan — PIPP is an extended payment plan for qualifying customers that requires regulated gas and electric companies to accept payments based on a percentage of household income