The first cool nights along the Front Range always seem to arrive faster than the budget expects. If you're watching your Xcel bill climb as temperatures drop and wondering how to keep the house warm without dreading the mailbox, you are not alone. Boulder County winters are milder than the mountains, but a drafty single-story in Louisville can burn through gas just as fast as a bungalow in Lafayette. For seniors worried about energy bills, a few simple habits and a few things worth avoiding can make a real difference.
1. Do: Seal the Small Drafts First
The ENERGY STAR home weatherization guide notes that air sealing and adding insulation can save homeowners about 15 percent on heating and cooling costs. Good news. Some of the most noticeable drafts can be tackled with simple supplies from the hardware store.
Weatherstripping around the front door. A door sweep on the garage entry. Rope caulk pressed into window frames each fall and peeled off each spring, plus foam gaskets behind switch and outlet plates on exterior walls, add up to a warmer house without a contractor visit.
Turn the thermostat down two degrees when you sleep and add a blanket. That single change can trim roughly 5 to 10 percent from a winter heating bill.
2. Don't: Take Shortcuts That Put You at Risk
Every fall, the Boulder County fire departments respond to house fires started by space heaters placed too close to bedding or curtains. Keep them three feet from anything flammable, plug them directly into a wall outlet, and never leave one running overnight.
Do not use the gas stove to heat the kitchen, even for an hour. That releases carbon monoxide. Do not tape plastic sheeting over a window with a working radiator underneath, and do not block heat registers with furniture to save the room, because both trap heat in the wrong place and can damage the equipment you rely on all winter long.
3. Do: Call Before You Cut Back
Xcel Energy runs an Energy Assistance program for Colorado households on fixed incomes, and the state's LEAP program (Low-Income Energy Assistance Program) opens November 1. If your Social Security or pension income is under the threshold, you may qualify for a one-time heating credit that lands directly on your account. The AARP overview of state energy help is a good starting point. So is calling your utility. Ask for a level-pay or budget-billing plan, which averages the bill across 12 months so January isn't a shock.
Broomfield Senior Services can help older residents connect with financial and community resources, while programs such as Colorado's Weatherization Assistance Program may help qualifying households with energy-efficiency improvements.
4. Don't: Ignore the Signs Your Furnace Needs Help
A furnace that runs constantly, cycles on and off every few minutes, or blows lukewarm air is telling you something. So is a gas bill that jumps 30 percent with no change in the weather. Schedule a tune-up in September while HVAC calendars are still open. A clean filter, checked every month, is the cheapest maintenance in the house.
Also check the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector. Every level of your home should have one.
A Warmer Winter in the Boulder Area
At Senior Helpers Boulder, we spend a lot of time in homes across Arvada, Boulder, Broomfield, Lafayette, and Louisville, and we see how much a warm, safe house matters when the days get short. Our caregivers can help with the small tasks that make winter easier to manage, from checking filters and closing storm windows to helping a loved one organize questions before calling the utility. If a loved one could use a hand this fall, contact us and we will set up a visit.
Let us help you make the season a little more comfortable at home.