When the frigid cold of winter strikes, keeping your home warm can not only be a challenge, it can also be costly.
Whether you live in the Northern part of the country or you’re hit by an unexpected snowstorm down South, it’s important to know how to keep a house warm.
Check out these helpful tips that will help you reduce your heating bill and stay cozy, all without breaking the bank.
1. Use Your Curtains
If you want to keep heating costs low, consider investing in some heavy-duty curtains and keep them closed at night. During the day, you can leave them open to allow natural sunlight to heat your house.
A good set of insulating curtains over all your windows will help trap the heat inside your home.
2. Use a Timer for Your Thermostat
Whenever possible, it’s recommended that you use a programmable thermostat. This feature will allow you to only turn the heat on when you’re home, reducing the overall costs to keep it running.
Set your timer to turn on a few minutes before you get home, and then have it turn the heat off whenever you leave for work or vacation. This will reduce overall runtime, and in turn, save you money.
3. Insulate your Water Heater
By adding a protective, insulated cover to your water heater, you’ll reduce the amount of time it takes to reach its heating capacity. This will also ensure that the hot water heater doesn’t undergo any negative effects from cold exposure.
Not only will your water take less time to reach optimum temperature, but it will also stay hotter, longer.
4. Turn the Temperature Down
While it might seem counterintuitive, turning your thermostat down even by one degree can do wonders for your heating bill. Over time, you’ll adjust to this small change without even knowing it.
You’d be surprised at just how much one degree can reduce your energy costs, so give it a try and see if you can deal with being one small degree colder.
5. How to Keep a House Warm: Check the Vents
If you have floor registers, make sure they are fully exposed so you are getting the maximum heating output. If you happen to have a sofa or other piece of furniture covering them up, consider doing a little rearranging.
When every vent in your home is exposed, you’ll get the absolute maximum output that your unit can provide. This will allow you to reap the full benefits of your home’s heating system and save money, too.
6. Learn Your System
Whether you have forced air, gas, or propane heat, it’s important to understand the inner workings of your home’s heating system. You can learn more from local experts who can walk you through the components and how they work together.
When you’re armed with a knowledge of how to keep a house warm, you’ll be better prepared to handle common issues later like a pilot light that has gone out. A little education can go a long way in ensuring your family stays comfortable.
7. Change Your Filters
Just like during the summertime, a clogged air filter can wreak havoc on your HVAC system. Do a regular check once a month, and change the filter regularly as needed.
When an air filter is blocked by dust and debris, it can cause the unit to malfunction. Regular filter changes will allow the unit to work at its maximum capacity and save you in the long run since it will help to prevent breakdowns.
8. Check Your Ceiling Fan
If you have ceiling fans, make sure they are running in a counter-clockwise motion. This will help the hot air that tends to rise to push downward.
Forcing the hot air down reduces waste, and it will keep you cozy, too. When you run your fan this way, you might discover that you can afford to lower that thermostat even more.
9. Look for Drafts
Cold air can sneak into some unexpected places. Always check your windows and doors for any drafts, and then take action.
You can fix the problem by adding new weatherstripping or by adding a simple towel in front of the door whenever it’s closed. Drafty rooms can not only leak the heat you pay for out, but it can also make a room feel frigid even when the heat is running.
10. Toss Some Rugs
For areas of your home with hard-surface flooring, you may notice that things can feel a bit frigid. Warm things up by adding area rugs throughout your home, which can offer added insulation and a warm feeling under your feet.
Select rugs that are thicker, like shag rugs to get the most from your purchase. Not only will they add a new look, but they’ll also make any room look and feel a whole lot warmer.
11. Plug Your Fireplace
Although it’s designed to keep you warm, a fireplace can also be a real heat-sucker. You can lose up to 20 percent of your home’s heat through an open fireplace.
Use a device called a fireplace plug that will help to seal off any drafts, helping to make the room feel a lot warmer. Be sure you select a fireplace plug that fits your particular unit for a secure, snug fit.
Staying Warm is Simple
With a few easy tips, you can learn how to keep a house warm all winter long without spending a ton of your hard-earned cash.
From using area rugs to cleaning your air filter or changing your fan’s direction, you’ll feel a lot warmer without making expensive changes.
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