How to Keep an Apartment Warm

If you live in an apartment where heat is included with your rent, you probably do not have the ability to regulate your warmth. If you pay your own heat, you might be conserving to keep your utility bills down. However, you still need to keep warm inside your apartment.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Check your windows to make sure they are closed securely and locked. Locking the window provides the extra tension to hold it tight against air leaks.
2. Cover leaking windows with clear plastic. If you have any windows in your apartment that do not seal well, a layer of thick sheet plastic tacked up on the inside of the window will keep the cold out and the heat in. Make sure the plastic extends over the sill and ledge.
3. Pass your hand over window frame. If you feel pockets of cool air, you can use a special string of putty, available at most hardware stores, to line the frame and panes and block the air.
4. Stuff a towel under each exterior door to block drafts or use a draft stopper.
5. Check your radiators to make sure they are working and are not blocked by furniture or other items. Clean the radiator covers to allow all of the warm heat to pass through without interference. If heat isn't coming up, and the heat is on, you may need to drain the radiator.
6. Supplement your heat with other sources. Candles and oil lamps have a flame when they burn. Even though the flame is small, it throws a fair amount of heat. Light a couple of candles or oil lamps in each room of your apartment and raise the room temperature. Be sure to put all open flames in a safe place, away from children and pets.
7. Turn on the oven and sit in the kitchen, but keep on eye on the stove to make sure the flame doesn't go out with the gas still on. Don't go to sleep with the oven on.