NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Baby, it’s cold outside!
It’s time to bundle up yourself and your home, and Norfolk Emergency Management Coordinator Daniel Hudson has tips for residents to stay safe and save money.
First, Hudson said, make sure doors and windows are sealed. This way, the wind won’t blow inside the home and blow up your heating bill. No one wants that, or frozen pipes that can burst.
“That definitely can be a hefty bill when you’re calling out a plumber to help fix your pipe,” he said.
- Prepare your pipes with insulation.
- Open cabinet doors to allow more heat to hit un-insulated pipes
- Turn your faucet on and let it drip overnight
“I do a little bit of a stream,” Hudson said, “so it’s coming down not too fast, but I put it in between that lukewarm area so the warm water is going through the pipes.”
- Keep your heat on and set to no lower than 55 degrees
- Never use a gas stove to heat your home
- Watch gas fireplaces
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer that claims about 1,000 lives per year.
Wood burning fireplaces also need attention. Hudson advises people to contact a chimney company to make sure it is clean and the flue is open. He also recommends using a fireplace screen to prevent any sparks from escaping and catching fire.
When kids go to the bus stop in the morning, make sure they are bundled up in layers. And if you see someone out at night with no place to go, call the city of Norfolk’s non-emergency number at 757-441-5610 for help.
“When it reaches the freezing level, the city does open up a shelter for our residents who are experiencing homelessness,” Hudson said. “And that way we can go out there and help them and get them to a warm place for the night.”
Finally, don’t forget your fur-baby’s fur probably isn’t enough to keep them warm and protected for long. Keep your walks a little a shorter and mind their paws, which can get frostbite from cold concrete.