5 Tips to Keep Your House Warm for Less
Staying warm in the winter can be a challenge, especially when you’re trying to save energy and cut down on your utility bills. Thankfully, people have been doing it for centuries and you can, too!
5 Cost-Effective Tips to Keep You Toasty
Whether you have a 500-square-foot apartment or 5,000-square-foot home, trying to keep your house warm without wasting energy and racking up an expensive heating bill can be difficult. And while you’ll have to learn how to compromise in certain situations, the following cost-effective tips should help you enjoy the best of both worlds:
1. Dress in Layers
The very first thing you need to do is be mindful of what you’re wearing. Your body loses heat via conduction and convection when it comes into contact with other elements that are colder than you. By dressing in layers, you can prevent the unnecessary loss of heat and regulate your body temperature by putting on and removing layers.
Much of your body’s heat loss occurs in the feet and head. So, for best results, wear both socks and hats, even when you’re inside.
2. Seal Off Cracks and Gaps
While your home provides protection from the outside elements, it isn’t a perfect barrier. Run your hands along the edges of your home’s windows and doors, and you’ll likely feel some cold spots. Heat is escaping through these cracks and gaps.
Small cracks and holes can be sealed off with silicone caulk. Larger gaps might require some larger foam insulation strips. If cold air feels like it’s seeping through windowpanes, you might consider using some bubble wrap to prevent heat from escaping.
3. Use Curtains and Blinds
Curtains and blinds should be used strategically to maximize your home’s energy efficiency throughout the winter months. When night comes, curtains and blinds should be pulled down and closed tight to help keep heat inside. When the sun rises in the morning, you can open them back up to allow sunlight to heat your living spaces naturally.
4. Get Creative With Household Items
One of the fun parts about saving energy is that it allows you to get creative. While the traditional methods highlighted in this article certainly work, there are also some pretty unique alternative options.
“Turn your terracotta pots into a mini-heater,” McCombs Supply suggests. “Take the base of a clay flower pot and place a candle in it. Turn the pot upside down hovering it above the candle and safely secure it onto a frame of some sort. The coolest part – You can find just about all of these supplies in your garage or at your local flea market.”
5. Close Off Doors
If you only use certain rooms throughout the majority of the day, there’s no sense in wasting energy to heat the other rooms that don’t get utilized. (This is especially true if you have multiple floors or rooms that don’t get touched for long periods of time.)
Instead of heating the entire home, consider turning off the central heating, closing doors, and using a space heater in the one or two rooms you do use. You’ll be surprised by how much heat you can retain in a single room when you aren’t trying to force it all over the house.
Stay Warm This Winter
Whether you live somewhere with relatively mild winters, or you’re in a northern region that gets lots of snow and ice, staying warm and keeping your energy consumption down is a major challenge that requires a detailed plan. Hopefully, you’ll find at least a couple of these tips helpful in your pursuit of doing both.