During the cold winter months, heaters are essential. However, there are better options because they can be very expensive, especially in a large home. Rather than relying on heaters, how can you stay warm?
The following five tips will offer guidance on how to stay warm.
Dress Properly
The first step is to dress appropriately. Staying warm can be as simple as wearing socks and a cozy sweater. Obviously, wearing a heavy jacket indoors is not comfortable or wise, but putting on a few extra layers is not a problem for most people. In this way, homeowners can stay comfortable in a 65-degree house.
Purchasing warm clothing during early spring is smart since that’s when retailers clear out their winter clothing, which can mean huge sales and discounts. Put those clothes in storage for a few months and then you’ll be ready to go once fall comes around.
Use Sunlight
The actual temperature of a home is not greatly affected by sunlight. A room filled with sunlight, however, will naturally appear and feel warmer from a mental standpoint. Studies have been done on this and have shown that people can feel warm in colder temperatures when they feel like they are in a warm room.
Portable Space Heater
If the weather is cold and you need to warm up quickly, the best option is to use a portable space heater. Due to their low electricity consumption, these space heaters are great. Additionally, they are compact, lightweight, and portable.
Since they don’t consume much energy, there’s no need to worry about your electricity bill, at least when compared to a traditional HVAC system. Another nice part about space heaters is that instead of warming an entire home with many rooms being unused, they can be used in the room where people are hanging out. In a 2000-square-foot home, a typical space heater consumes about 1/6 of the energy of a typical heating system.
Use Blankets
The use of blankets is one of the best ways to keep warm. You should put blankets in near the couch, by a table, or have an extra blanket on the bed. How would you like to be warmed up while watching television: by cuddling in a blanket or turning on the heater?
A blanket can also be used to cover windows at night. The heat will be trapped inside, keeping the home warm. Even though this won’t keep all the cold out, remember that the goal is to limit the use of a traditional heater, so if it gets an extra hour every night, it adds up.
Install a fireplace
Although a fireplace costs a lot to install, it costs very little to operate once it’s in place.
Winter is a good time to use your fireplace to keep your house warm. Be sure to check that it’s in good condition and ready to be used. A fireplace that is not taken care of can become a fire hazard or inefficient.
With the right ventilation, a fireplace can keep a home warm for twelve hours in the winter. This is much cheaper than the $12-15 it would cost to heat the house with a heating system.
Again, none of these options are intended to replace a traditional HVAC system. However, by utilizing these ideas, heating systems can be used significantly less, resulting in lower costs and fewer repairs.
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