Keep Your Energy Bills Down and Your House Warm in Winter

When you think about keeping your home warm in the coming winter, one of the first things that may come to mind is turning up your radiator or heater. While this may be the easiest way to avoid the bitter cold, you may not be too happy about next month’s energy bill.

You may have also heard about replacing your windows or adding better insulation to your home, but few people know that there are simple and more creative ways to stay warm when the temperatures start dropping. 

Plug Up Your Fireplace

Fireplaces may keep you warm, but loose fireplace dampers can reduce your home’s energy efficiency by causing chimney drafts and allowing cool air to enter your house during winter.

Fireplace plugs, also known as chimney balloons or draft stoppers, can help you prevent this from happening by stopping the airflow from going through your chimney. Not only will you keep your house warmer by plugging your chimney, but you can also save on electricity bills. Fireplace plugs come in two types: temporary and permanent. However, the latter puts your fireplace out of commission and turns it into a decorative fireplace instead.

With a temporary fireplace plug, all you have to do is remove them before you set your fire and put them back once the fire goes out.

Sleep Comfortably with a Hot Water Bottle

Trying to sleep when it’s freezing can be difficult, and sometimes, even a fleece blanket isn’t enough. When this happens, try filling up a hot water bottle and place it underneath your blanket in places where you tend to feel cold. This way, you’ll be able to keep yourself warm while you sleep. Just don’t forget to seal the bottle properly to avoid any incidents.

Soak Up the Sun in the Morning and Draw the Curtains at Night

Sunlight is free, so it’s important to make use of the heat that comes from it, especially on sunny days. Once the sun goes down, however, draw your curtains. They’ll act as a layer of insulation that helps you to prevent the cold air from seeping through your windows and entering your home. Another step you can take to make sure that cold air doesn’t enter your hope is by seeing that you don’t have any gaps or leaks where cold air can come in, and hot air can go out.

You may also want to consider investing in thermal curtains, which are generally made of polyester, cotton, and wool, which can help further insulate your room and keep the cold air between the curtain and window.

Keep Your Furnace in Good Shape

One of the most common problems that many people encounter with their heating and cooling systems is unchanged furnace filters. Not maintaining your heating and cooling systems can lead to bigger problems later on, like having to replace the whole system if it stops working completely. If your furnace is due for a checkup or repair, consider having your furnace tuned up to ensure that everything from connections to the filter is intact and properly maintained.

Run Your Ceiling Fan in Reverse

Most ceiling fans nowadays run both clockwise and counterclockwise, and this can benefit you all year round. Having your ceiling fan run clockwise allows you to cool down your home on summer days. On the other hand, having it run counterclockwise allows the fan to produce an updraft that pushes the warm air from the ceiling downwards, resulting in a warmer room.

While most ceiling fans have the option to run in both directions, you still might want to check whether your fan does. You won’t want to suddenly make the room cooler by running your fan the wrong way.

Make Your Own Heater

When all else fails, or in the case of an emergency, there may come a time when you’ll have to improvise your own source of heat. Fortunately, there’s a way to do so with the help of a few things that you can find at home: a terracotta flower pot, a few candles, and something prop the flower pot with. This is called a terracotta heater, and this is an easy way to create your own heat source when your radiator or the electricity is down.

All you need to do is light a few candles, place them on a non-flammable surface, and prop your terracotta flower pot upside down and on top of the candles. This can serve as a makeshift heater for emergencies, but it’s important to remember not to leave the candles unattended, especially if you have pets and children in the house.

Staying warm in winter doesn’t have to be at the expense of your energy bill. With these helpful tips, not only will you keep yourself and your home warm throughout the cold season, but you’ll also be ready to keep your home’s temperature under control at any time of the year.

Meta title: Staying Warm During Winter Without Breaking the Bank
meta desc: Winter is a few months away, but it never hurts to prepare for the harsh cold. Learn about a few essential tactics to keep your house warm this coming winter.