Oregonians are being urged to prepare for a wave of arctic cold and tips are being offered to help residents conserve energy during the winter months. Here are some low-cost tips you can use today: * Cover drafty windows with a heavy duty, clear plastic sheet on the inside of window frames during winter months. Close drapes at night to keep heat in. * Consider placing towels, blankets or store-bought draft blockers at the base of particularly drafty doors. Apply weather stripping around door jambs as well. * Improve your home’s heating and cooling systems by cleaning or replacing furnace filters and scheduling routine system maintenance to help air flow through the system more efficiently. * Set your thermostat as low as comfortable; aim for 68 degrees. When you are asleep or out of the house, lower the temperature by another 10 degrees and this will reduce your energy usage by about 10 percent. With this first bristle of cold weather, it is also a good time to revisit your family’s emergency preparation plan. Do you have warm clothes, flashlights, batteries and potable water stowed?
