Tips for Renters Living in an Old Wilmington Home: How to Conserve Energy with Old Windows

Let's face it, Wilmington. We all know that moment. The moment when you open your utility bill to an astounding number much higher than you were expecting to see. "Oh no." We've all been there - especially during the cold winter months. Utility and energy bills tend to skyrocket during cold seasons, and this terrifying, 'Oh no,' moment can sometimes be double to triple the average cost if you live in an old historic home. We've come up with a few cheap and effective DIY tips to help you conserve energy, and ultimately, your wallet. 

1. Rubber Weather Sealing: You can buy strips of self-stick rubber weather sealing at a hardware store or online. Cut long strips down to fit your window dimensions, then peel and stick to the frame to close any gaps and keep out drafts.

2. Window Insulation Film: You can buy window insulation kits from a hardware store or online. Kits usually include plastic shrink film that is applied to the indoor window frame with double-stick tape, then heated with a hair dryer to shrink the film and remove any wrinkles. Check out our tutorial in the link below.

4. Layered Curtains or Insulated Curtains: Use heavy fabrics or layered curtains over the windows to keep out drafts. Or, purchase insulated curtains with built-in thermal backing.

5. Draft Snakes: Draft snakes are fabric tubes placed on a window sill or under a door to prevent cold air from creeping in. You can make one by sewing a tube of fabric to fit the width of your window and filling it with dried rice.

All of these can easily be found at your local hardware store. Personally my favorite is the window insulation kit. Growing up in an old New York home brought many brick cold winters which also meant wild energy bills were sure to come, and our family never went a winter without throwing these up. Keeping warm in the winter time sometimes requires extra work and some ingenuity, but your wallet will thank you later.