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GREENSBORO – With the threat of freezing temperatures looming, experts say there are steps people can take to winterize their homes.

Taking precautions means homeowners save money on both utility bills and costly repairs. Allstate Insurance estimates winter storms cause about $1 billion in insured losses every year.

“We see a lot of water claims where people have burst pipes because of the cold weather,” said Allstate agent Ruffin Price who process hundreds of those claims.

Often any damage that occurs inside the home from winter-related storms begins outside, but Price said a lot of that can be prevented.

“Make sure your gutters are cleaned, because water tends to stand in those gutters and if that water freezes, it has no way of draining out, so water can actually back up and go under your shingles and under your roof and cause water damage,” Price said.

Price tells homeowners to check all their pipes to make sure they’re insulated or covered, starting with the crawl space.

“You want to make sure that you close that vent to keep the cold air from getting under the house to prevent the pipes from freezing,” he said.

Residents of older homes who are leaving for a few days should set their faucets to a slow, steady drip.

“That will keep the water in the pipes moving,” Price said. “Of course, moving water freezes a lot slower or is less likely to freeze than standing water.”

Price said residents should also disconnect water hoses to allow any water inside to drain.

He said ignoring tips like these could be costly.

"You can see water damage claims up in the thousands of dollars," Price said.