How to Prep Your Home for Winter Blizzards

Whether you have a family or live alone, you always want to be prepared for the unexpected in the wintertime in Pennsylvania. We all learned that lesson the hard way last year when the snow never seemed to stop, and this year, experts are predicting more of the same. While there are many ways to prepare your home for the worst of the winter weather, here are some tips to help you stay warm and safe no matter how frightful things get.

Get Supplies

Having the little things like candles and plush blankets in close reach will make you more comfortable if the electricity goes out. Candles are a great alternative to flashlights, since they don’t require batteries – you should have some batteries handy anyway – and they can also work as a heat source to warm up canned soups and foods.

And, speaking of food, it’s a good idea to have a decent stock of canned vegetables, soups, and other non-perishables for when you are stuck in the house. Don’t bother so much with the mad fight for milk and eggs – they’ll be the first to go when the power does; instead, stock up on the cans, dried fruits and nuts, crackers, peanut butter, and bottled water. And, of course, make sure to have a basic first-aid kid on hand at all times.

Make Sure to Have Tools On Hand

You’ll need more than just food for when you are stranded inside the house – you’ll also need some tools to help you dig your way out of it. Make sure that you have some good, solid shovels in your garage, along with a couple of bags of salt and some sand, a windshield scraper, jumper cables, a tool kit, and any other supplies that you think you might need. After all, if you don’t have a shovel, getting out of your driveway after the storm is going to be awfully hard. Avoid getting stuck by having supplies on hand. And don’t forget to bundle up properly when doing anything outside during the cold weather!

Invest in a Generator

A propane powered generator could be one of the best investments you’ll ever make for the winter months. Generators turn mechanical energy from an outside source into power that can be used for electricity. If you’d rather not rough it during a blizzard, a generator can be substituted for your power source to a greater or lesser degree depending on the size you get; this means that your heat, lights, and cooking appliances can work throughout the storm. You can research residential propane prices to figure out how much it would cost to power your generator for a few days. Knowing that you have a backup plan when a bad blizzard is on the way will give you one less thing to worry about, which goes a long way during a state of emergency.

Check your Insulation

One of the best ways to keep your home warm during a serious storm is to ensure that you aren’t leaking all of your warm air out into the frosty world. This is especially true if you might be using a generator to heat your house. Check the areas around your windows and doors for any leaks or drafts. If you notice any, there are several things you can do:

  1. Buy a draft blocker for the bottom of the doors or roll up a towel and make your own!
  2. Use some caulking to fill any cracks.
  3. Get a window insulation kit, which contains some plastic that covers windows and blocks drafts.
  4. Invest in storm windows and doors.

At Gas Tec, our residential propane prices are incredibly affordable, especially for the peace of mind they provide. When freezing cold weather hits in Pennsylvania, the money you spent won’t matter; what will matter is that your family is safe, warm, and comfortable.

Request Service

Outta gas? Need a refill? Have questions or comments?
Leave us a message and we will respond as quickly as we can! If it’s an emergency please call.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.