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Easy steps to keep your home warm & safe this winter

As the colder temperatures move in, it’s a good time to take steps to keep homes warm and safe, before winter begins.

Right now, hardware stores are dealing with the in-between of seasons, and many have brooms, rakes, and shovels all out on display.

There’s some easy steps you can take – from stocking up on shovels, deicer, and space heaters – to keeping the cold out by covering your windows with some extra protection.

But officials say every year, the first few cold nights are when they see a spike in issues with carbon monoxide poisoning.

That’s why the recommend people test their heat before that cold sets in. Testing it ahead of time is an easy way to find out if issues have built up over the summer – if an animal has gotten in, or anything that might cause some sort of a blockage.

Officials also recommend people change their carbon monoxide detector every 5-7 years, and change the batteries in those detectors at least twice a year.