5 Necessities to prep yourself and your apartment for cold weather

Winter waits just around the bend. Don’t get caught off-guard with high bills and unnecessary risks.

As the temperature drops, it’s time to start thinking about safe cold weather practices for yourself and your rental. Create a checklist using the 5 Points of Protection to start off the winter season right.

1. Protect your health through sanitary practices. Who’s got time to lay around sick and pitiful? No one. If you’re going to be off of work, let it be for a cool vacation, not to nurse the flu. Protect yourself by doing what you already know to do: eat well; get plenty of sleep; take vitamin supplements; wash your hands when you’re in contact with anything public; cover your coughs and sneezes and sharply condemn those who don’t do the same! *Include sinister glare, even at children.*
2. Protect your cash by conserving energy while warming your home. Keep your thermostat on a modest temperature between 65-74 degrees instead of jacking it up in the evening when you’re home and letting the rental freeze when you’re away. It cost more to try to defrost an icicle than to warm a chilled room. If only one room of your home gets used frequently, consider setting the thermostat ultra-low and using an energy efficient space heater. Not sure if you’re saving dough? There are plenty of apps to help you monitor energy usage and savings.
3. Protect your life by staying up to date on emergency evacuation plans. Unfortunately, the winter marks the height of residential fires. From fireplaces to Christmas lights and candles, there are risks at every turn. While it’s important to practice safe fire handling skills at home, remember that your neighbors might not…be that considerate. Familiarize yourself with evacuation plans for your building and the community.
4. Protecting your home with safety tips while warming and decorating the home. As the point above mentions, there is a tendency for fire-related accidents to happen during the colder months.  Do you research before wiring up your holiday lights, using multiple space heaters, and getting the bonfire roaring.
5. Protecting property while away on holiday vacations. In addition to locking doors and windows (duh) don’t forget to take additional precautions. Notify trusted neighbors of your vacation dates and ask them to look out for your place. Stop mail delivery to your home so that it doesn’t accumulate. Unplug electronics and appliances to conserve energy and prevent electricity-related problems. It’s also a smart idea to shut off the water valve to your washing machine (and even your fridge if your vacation is long) to prevent burst pipes under pressure.

Grab some hot cocoa and enjoy the cold weather months!

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