Published by Programme B
cozy sweaters and hot chocolate, they won’t seem very fun if your house is freezing. You’ll have to warm your home through the coldest months of the year and potentially pay an electric bill that’s more expensive than you’d prefer. Check out these energy-saving tips for the cold weather that don’t involve cranking your thermostat up. You’ll save money and stay warm without disrupting your daily routine.
1. Use Your Fireplace
Anyone who has a fireplace should consider using it. Wood-burning or gas fireplaces are an excellent way to heat your home even faster than an HVAC unit. Just ensure that a professional cleans your chimney and installs a carbon monoxide detector. You’ll prevent potential emergencies that can catch homeowners by surprise, like house fires.
2. Revamp Your Wardrobe
You could find it easier to stay warm after replacing a few clothes in your wardrobe. Swap thin cotton sweaters with wool alternatives. People have used wool to stay warm in freezing climates for centuries. It’s a textile with natural insulation that won’t overheat you because it utilizes microscopic air pockets to ventilate excess heat. Wear wool socks, sweaters and cardigans to conserve your warmth without adjusting the thermostat.
3. Hang Sun Blocking Curtains
Closing your curtains at night will keep your home at a stable temperature. The cold winter air will permeate your windows and affect each room. Sun-blocking curtains made with thick fabric will keep that freezing air against the glass. Close them every night to try one of the easiest energy-saving tips for the cold weather.
4. Insulate Your Garage Door
Your garage door may also let winter weather slip into your home. If it’s an older model, the thin construction is likely easy for bitter winds to permeate. Once your garage dips below freezing temperatures, the cold can enter your home through your inner garage door and walls.
Consider adding insulation to your garage door by replacing it. A newer model will last for years and prevent 71% of the energy loss that occurs when your HVAC unit tries to warm your home against the constant winter chill coming through your garage.
5. Lower Your Thermostat at Night
If your family member or roommates go to bed at roughly the same time, lower your thermostat at night. The last person who goes to sleep can lower it by a few degrees so the heating system doesn’t kick on while no one’s awake to enjoy it. The only thing that might be a concern is if the colder nightly temperature would negatively affect your pets, like reptiles or fish.
6. Try a Heated Blanket
Heated blankets consume very little energy to warm an entire bed. Add one to each bedroom so your loved ones stay extra cozy when the thermostat goes down at night. Heated blankets are also perfect for winter afternoon naps or whenever you need to warm up tight muscles or cold feet.
7. Search for Air Leaks
Windows have sealant around the edges to keep indoor air from flowing outside. When the sealant ages or breaks down due to weathering, outdoor air can also get inside. Turn off all of your household fans and HVAC system before holding a small candle flame to your windows. If the flame flickers, you’ll quickly identify unknown leaks and apply fresh sealant to keep your home from wasting valuable warm air.
8. Close Unused Air Vents
Are there empty rooms in your home? Maybe your kids don’t use their playroom much anymore or a guest room is empty of visitors. Close the air vents in those rooms to redirect the heat when your HVAC unit or heater kicks on. You’ll pay to warm rooms you’re actively using and potentially save money by spending less time heating them.
9. Switch to LED Bulbs
If you don’t feel comfortable lowering your thermostat or can’t add wool clothes to your closet, lower your electric bill another way. Switch your lamps to LED bulbs. They utilize modern technology to use 75% less energy no matter how long you leave them on. You’ll spend less money keeping your house lit up and redirect those same funds to using your HVAC unit as often as you like.
10. Crack Your Oven Open
After baking for the holidays or making a casserole dinner, leave your oven cracked open. It’s full of hot air that will quickly warm your kitchen and surrounding rooms as it cools down. Unless you have small kids who might try to touch the inside of the hot oven, it’s an easy way to recycle heat and keep your electric bill down.
Try Energy Saving Tips
Now that you’ve read some helpful energy-saving tips for the cold weather, start saving money today. Recycling heat, upgrading your home’s insulated features and even using heated blankets will make you more comfortable without breaking the bank.
Photo by Airam Dato-on from Pexels