ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – With freezing temperatures comes freezing pipes and high energy bills. Sarah Alvarez works at Bible Hardware and as the cold weather started to arrive, she has received more calls from people asking for winter preparation supplies, like faucet covers.

“I had a lady call me this morning and ask me if it was okay with what faucet covers she has, because she wasn’t sure if it will still be cold weather resistant because she purchased it last year,” Alvarez shared.

Bryant Garrett, a plumber from Bryant’s Plumbing, said faucet covers protect your pipes from freezing, but if you can’t get a hold of one, wrapping your faucet and pipes with a towel or an old t-shirt will help.

“Whatever you got to do to get something to cover those hydrants outside and if you’re out in a rural area, it would be a good idea to get some kind of a heat lamp or something in your well house,” Garrett recommended.

One of the last-minute tips he shared is to always keep your faucet dripping.

“Keep your water running. I usually like to run a little more than a steady drip on the hot side of a faucet. Maybe either in the furthest room or in the room that’s on the north wall,” Garrett explained.

Rodwick Dowston, HAVOC professional from Legit Heating and Air, said turning on your heater before the freezing temperatures hit will help keep your kitchen and bathroom pipes from freezing. It will also help keep your home warm longer. Turning on the heat ahead of time will give your heating unit enough time to warm up instead of over working it and potentially damaging it when you turn it on suddenly.

“Whether it’s 72, 74, even when you’re gone. And that way, your walls get opportunity to get balanced – floor, furniture, everything in there,” Dowston explained. “Those articles retain heat so they will actually start helping the system to heat better.”

As the temperatures continue to drop in the Big Country, these tips can help keep you and your house safe from the winter freeze.