Toasty Tips Contest Winners

When we launched this site in the fall, we asked what our customers were doing to stay warm this winter. Thousands replied with great ideas on weatherizing and conserving with slight changes in their daily routines. Here are some excerpts from some of the best entries. Congratulations to all our contest winners!

Grand Prize (free gas)

Kera Evans - Chicago

On days when cheeks are red and rosy
Keep your household nice and cozy!
Stop the quiv'ring of your lips
By trying all these helpful tips!

Don't forget to insulate
And set the temp to 68
Heavy drapes just can't be beat
For trapping in that precious heat

Fuzzy slipper on cold floors
Check the seal on those old doors!
Plastic sheeting does the trick
On a window one pane thick

Throw on jammies made of flannel
Turn on that old movie channel
Pour hot chocolate in your mugs
And give your loved one great big hugs!

Sharing your warm home will start
To light the furnace in your heart.

Candace Drimmer - Chicago

For us it is simply a matter of lower, layer and love.

First lower the temperature...I knew we could live with indoor temperatures of 65 during the day and 56 at night. Not the typical over heated home but one we lived with even when we had babes in arms.

In Mexico City the winter temperatures go down to freezing at night and most homes do not have centralized heat. It was here that I learned the lesson of layering my clothing.

Lastly there is the love of our mutt Whoopi who we adopted in Mexico City. When she plops into bed each night to sleep in my husband's arms, her radiant heat is like a blast furnace. Let the winter begin.

John Craffey - Grayslake

My storm windows had significant air gaps; I used a couple of tubes of silicon caulk to seal them up. In the basement, the concrete foundation sills had no insulation; I added 6 inches. The basement windows were only single pane; I added window film to stop the major air leaks...I took a look at the six inches of insulation in the attic and added six inches more. Another "no brainier" is for the attic entrance: NO insulation covering the piece of sheetrock!!

I add a hot water tank insulation blanket along with insulating all of the exposed hot water pipes. I had to turn the hot water heat setting down by 1/4! And let's not forget about the seven-day thermostat too.

All of the above were weekend projects accomplished over the first year of ownership for a few hundred dollars. My gas usage has decreased by 20%. There was also an added marital benefit: the "thermostat war" between my wife and me was eliminated.

Runners-Up (robe and slippers)

Betty Collins - Chicago

We will look at television together, rather than in individual bedrooms. By doing this, we can close vents in other parts of the house, and the heat will concentrate on just the area that we are sitting in.

We have all bought an extra comforter for our beds, so we will lower the temperature even lower at night.

We have caulked our glass block windows. We can already tell that our finished basement is warmer. We have also bought felt guards for all of our doors to keep air from seeping into the house.

Our family plans on cooking more soups, stews, and casseroles. They warm the body, they are tasty, and will heat the house at the same time. We have agreed on drinking teas and not soda pops and bottled water, which are cold to the body.

Dorothia Oliver - Chicago

My favorite insulation is the rope caulk that acts like play dough. It is very easy to apply and easy for the elderly to use. I find that with arthritis in my hands I can still use it. I also use plastic to cover my windows.

Most of my friends did not know to feel around the baseboard also. In older buildings you sometimes get a draft where the baseboards have moved away from the floor. I use caulk there.

I found out also that old windowpanes get really cold in the winter and you have to replace them every few years. If you are fortunate enough to get a sunny day then make sure curtains are open doing daylight hours, and close them when the sun goes down.

2nd Runners-up (slippers)

Dean VandenBiesen - Libertyville

My wife and I always wear an extra sweater while we are at home, and extra blankets on the bed at night to make sure we stay warm enough.

We have a programmable thermostat which turns the temperature down at night while we are sleeping, and during the day when we are not at home, so that we conserve gas for when we need it: while we are at home.

Our house has an extra layer of insulation blown into the attic to keep precious heat from escaping through the roof. We also have new vinyl windows to keep the cold drafts from blowing cold air in. We have annual inspections and cleanings performed on our high efficiency furnace to make sure it is running at peak efficiency. I have also wrapped the exposed ductwork in our basement with special foil backed fiberglass insulation to keep the heat from diffusing into the basement.

Our two yellow labs also help keep us warm and cozy by snuggling up with us on the couch and on the bed. They are spoiled, but it's a give-and-take relationship, and we keep each other warm on those cold winter days and nights.

Barbara Dazzo - Chicago

I set my temperature to a level that is comfortable when warmly dressed, and lower it at least five degrees while I sleep at night. I open my drapes during the day to let the sun in and close them at night and on cloudy days. I close doors to rooms not being used. I installed a digital thermostat that regulates the heat to automatically raise and lower the heat, depending on the time of day. I apply caulking, weather stripping and foam sealant to gaps around the doors and windows of my home.

Another way I stay warm during the winter months is tackle a cleaning job around the house every weekend. Start by turning on some good tunes you enjoy and clean, clean, clean. You stay warm and burn those extra calories we gain in the winter months. It will make you feel happier throughout the dreary winter months. Another thing I do is cook lots of soups, chilis, hot chocolate. Things like that keep your stomach warm and your soul knowing your family is eating healthy and staying warm.

Gift Cards

Cliff Aque - Chicago
Being better about changing the furnace filter is a must - I am putting it on the calendar and making it happen.

Rajkumar Arumugam - Waukegan
Having a professional energy audit of your home can help identify additional ways to tighten up your home and save on heating bills.

Teressa Gibbs Fort - Chicago
I cover the window air conditioner.

Donna Green - Chicago
We chose to keep our queen size bed instead of going larger to a king size just so we could stay warm.

Moses Green - Chicago
We keep all doors closed, keep the thermostat on 72 and while we're sitting watching TV we use a throw.

Ann Herring - Chicago
Regularly watering indoor plants throughout the house creates humidity that makes the air feel warmer.

Renata Majstrzyk - Chicago
I decided to take an active approach and changed all appliances to energy efficient appliances. I received help after registering my house with the Chicago Bungalow Initiative and used my grants to purchase an efficient washer and dryer.

Daniel Murphy - Lake Forest
We installed two high efficiency furnaces, one in the basement and the second in an insulated attic room, and automatic thermostatic controls are used to only heat the areas that are occupied.

Ileana Perez - Chicago
I move furniture and draperies away from radiators, vents and registers.

Jennifer Stokes - Chicago
I installed ceiling fans that help to circulate the warm air during the winter months.

T-Shirts

Vanessa Blue - Chicago
I was very surprised at the amount of heat that was conserved in the kitchen by sealing off the pantry with only a piece of fabric and a curtain rod.

Rose Dorn - Chicago
Our furnace gets a cleaning every year, and we replace the filters ever 3 months.

Charles Gerhardt - Grayslake
Insulating the garage door not only keeps the attached garage warmer, but reduces the heat loss from the house.

James Jones - Chicago
When we use the oven, we shut it off shortly before the end of the cooking time and once the food is done, we leave the oven door cracked to utilize the heat from it.

Anthony Koldan - Chicago
We stay warm and cozy by checking our doorways, windows, basement pipe inlets as well as the attic vents for any gaps, cracks or breezes.

Donna Lilley-Feddor - Chicago
I home school my daughter. We dress in layers if we get cold, and to warm us every day we have gym class!

Ramiro Luna - Chicago
There is no need to be home with no shirt on and wearing shorts. At the Luna household we always wear sweaters and warm slippers.

Carey Overstreet - Chicago
We add moisture to our heating system because humidified heat in a hot air system feels warmer.

Kristen Starr - Chicago
We bought plastic sheeting for drafty windows and were pleasantly surprised to see how effective it was.