Tips to protect your home in extreme cold

HADDONFIELD, N.J. (WPVI) -- For many of us, spring can't come soon enough.

"It's absolutely horrible. It's frigid. It's terrible," said Sharon Parker of Haddonfield.

For others, it's all about bundling up and being prepared.

"I think you have to dress properly to come out. I walk dogs and I have all the gear and I'm good. I even have hand warmers," said Toni Mansfield of Haddonfield.

And in this extreme - even dangerous cold -- utility companies in New Jersey are closely monitoring infrastructure that can become vulnerable in these temperatures.

"When the weather gets severely cold like this it can make our pipes more brittle," explained Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water. "The water temperature seems to have an impact on water mains so there is that opportunity that you can get more water main breaks."

He said, so far, January has been an active month for water main breaks but not at an unusual level for this time of year.

Officials with New Jersey American Water encourage homeowners to make sure any exposed pipes are kept insulated or warm, to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.

"Just open your faucet a little bit and let it drip. and you can capture that in a Tupperware. But even just a little bit of movement will keep water from freezing," said McDonough.

Energy companies are warning that in this cold weather, heating systems may be working extra hard, so make sure they've been serviced recently.

PSE&G officials say as people tend to use more gas appliances in the winter months, you want to make sure they're working properly.

"If you do have a generator, make sure it's operating according to the manual," said Nicole Swan-Bennett, Senior Director of Customer Care at PSE&G. "And to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, don't run any gas-powered generator in a garage or any enclosed spaces."

PSE&G officials say with customers with gas and electric heat in the area, they have crews standing by to assist with both types of outages should they become an issue.