As the weather begins to get colder, experts give out tips to area residents looking to prepare their homes for the winter season.
Cecil Tyson, owner of Tyson Electrical and Air Conditioning, said the most important thing is something people can do on their own.
“One thing they need to do all the time is change their air conditioner filters on a regular schedule,” he said.
Rhonda Barwick, public services director for the city of Kinston, said the city offers free energy audits for both commercial and residential customers.
“We go through the house with them and do things like check around their windows and give helpful hints. It’s more of a one-on-one thing that we get to do,” she said.
Barwick said temperature setting can make a big difference in heating bills during the winter.
“We always recommend around 68 degrees and no higher than 72 degrees during the winter. That way you can reduce your heating cost,” she said.
Nathan Pipkin, of Ayden, sells firewood and said while he has not seen an increase in sales, they have remained steady and he expects to run out of wood before the end of the winter.
He said any dry wood is good to burn, but there are some woods that are better than others.
“In this area, the best is White Oak because it burns longer and gives off more heat than other woods,” he said.
At Lowe’s in Kinston, the store is ready to help residents warm their homes with portable heaters, and additional insulation. Store manager Brad Martin said residents should prioritize ensuring that their pipes are ready.
“One of the bigger things with winterizing is pipe insulation. As we get into the colder nights like we did last week people need to protect them. Also using basic weather stripping throughout your house, whether it’s around your doors and windows,” he said.
Martin said he has seen an increase in sales of space heaters during the last week due to the recent cold snap. He said the store sells a wide variety of heaters.
“We have solutions for people who just want to heat up a cool bathroom or if they want to heat up a bigger living space,” he said.
To schedule an energy audit with Kinston Public Services, call 252-939-3282
Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @nclark763.