Hello friends how are you all? Today we are going to talk about How to Keep a House Warm Without Expensive Heating Bills. Just about everyone loves the idea of a ‘White Christmas,’ but not everyone loves the heating bills that come along with cold temperatures. This may be especially true this year, as natural gas prices have surged, more than doubling in price in the last 18 months.
With the holiday season already being a tough time for many people financially, it comes as no surprise that people are looking for alternative ways to stay warm this upcoming winter.
There is no realistic free or even cheap way of doing this. However, there are some money-saving tips to stay warm in the coming months.
How To Keep A House Warm Without Expensive Heating Bills
Portable Space Heaters
Space heaters are an economical way to stay warm, especially when compared to a central heating system. The issue with a central heating system is that the entire house is warmed, even if only one or two rooms are being used.
Portable space heaters allow heat to be distributed only where it is needed. For many, this can mean having it run in the living room or kitchen during the day and the bedroom at night. This method allows for a central heating system to be rarely, if ever used.
When using this method, closing doors from other rooms is best so that heat doesn’t distribute into unneeded rooms.
Ceiling Fans
I didn’t know that ceiling fans could go either direction until recently, but they have a very practical purpose. Typically, ceiling fans are used to cool down a room, but if you look carefully, you will see that most fans have a switch that makes the fans go in the opposite direction.
When this happens, instead of cool air being pushed down towards the bottom of the room, the cold air is pulled up and the warm air is pushed down. This allows for a room to have the warmest air constantly circulated into the room.
At some point, the room will continue to get colder since the fans don’t serve as heaters, but for a short-term solution, this can help out quite a bit.
Cover Doorways and Windows
One of the quickest ways to lose heat is to have an opening somewhere in the home. Even if it just appears to be a small crack, a small opening under a door or window can cause an entire home to cool down a few degrees in only a few hours.
Putting blankets or towels under doorways and windows that lead outside can keep the heat inside and make it so that the heater is on far less often. Even if there isn’t a draft, this can still be a good idea. There is a natural pull for heat to leave the home. Limiting this possibility forces heat to stay inside.
Small Tips That Can Go a Long Way
The last three sections gave examples of changes that go a long way in cutting costs to stay warm, but they certainly aren’t the only ones. Here are three other ideas that won’t yield drastic results, but can certainly help when combined together.
Dressing warmer. This can go a long way in staying warm during the cold months. While this is in no way suggesting to wear heavy jackets all day, a simple sweater and pants can allow homeowners to stay as comfortable at a lower temperature as they would in t-shirts and shorts in a warmer home.
Cook meals with an oven. An oven at 350 F can heat up a 600 square foot area about two to three degrees in 30 minutes. Using an oven should never be used to warm a home, as it can be dangerous, but as an added benefit to baking, it can be beneficial.
Adding rugs. Rugs and other soft flooring will not only make your house look great, but it will also help hold in heat. This is particularly true on a second story or higher. A room can lose up to 10% of its heat through the flooring, and having carpet or other soft surfaces to hold in the warmth will mean less time heating. Hope you enjoy reading our article How to Keep a House Warm Without Expensive Heating Bills.