With the colder weather arriving, people tend to spend more time indoors and heating bills rapidly increase. As a first home buyer, finding ways to save money is important, and ensuring your home is warm and comfortable throughout the winter season does not have to be too costly. There are a number of easy things and ways to keep your home warm this winter. All of them have been proven to make a considerable impact when it comes to reducing your winter energy bills.
So, What Are The Most Affordable Ways To Keep Your Home Warm In Winter?
Insulation
Uninsulated homes lose 25 – 35% of their warmth thru the roof. When it comes to regulating your home’s temperature, insulation is really a no brainer. Apart from the obvious benefit of a warmer house in winter and a cooler house in summer, the savings on your energy bill mean that the insulation will eventually pay for itself; making it a great investment.
Let it Flow
Take notice of how hot air moves around your home. It might not seem important, but it gives you the knowledge you need to ensure that heat can move unrestricted around the room. As tempting as it is to position your couch directly in front of your heater/fire, this means the flow of heat is interrupted and will not warm the whole room. Even something as simple as hanging wet laundry too close to the heater during a rainy week can affect the even distribution of heat.
Closing doors to rooms that are not being used will also help to reduce your heating bill, there is no point heating an empty room. Another valuable tip: time your heating! Turning your heater on full when your house is cold to try to heat it quickly is not ideal. It is much more cost effective to slowly release warmer air over a longer period of time, so for instance timing it to come on an hour before you get out of bed. Maintaining heaters is imperative for keeping them running safely and efficiently. Get a professional in at least every 2 years to service your heaters. Regular servicing, dusting and cleaning of filters is recommended.
Window Treatments Keep Your Home Warm This Winter
Just like insulation, window treatments help keep the warmth in during winter, and the heat out during summer. In homes without window coverings, 40% of heat loss is through the windows! Curtains, blinds and shutters are all great ways to give you some control over keeping heat in your home, where it’s most needed. Remember that if the sun is shining, opening your curtains is a perfect way to harness the natural heat that only the sun can offer; just be sure to close them at night to prevent any of the precious heat from escaping.
Rug Up
Carpeted rooms are perfect for helping give your home the warmness it needs during the colder months, but not everybody has a house full of carpet – and that is where rugs come in. Keeping floorboards or tiles covered with rugs is the best solution. They not only create a barrier between the freezing, hard floors and your feet, but they are also great for decorative purposes.
Layer Up
This might seem obvious but the more layers you have on, the warmer you will be without the need for artificial heat. Layer your clothing, have extra throws handy to use when sitting on the couch, make sure you have a quilt suited to winter temperatures and use heat packs/hot water bottles. There are so many great, inexpensive ways to warm up without blowing your budget. Do your research and you will definitely reap the rewards.
For more tips on how to keep your home warm in winter, or to help with any of your first home buying needs, get in touch with our friendly team, today! We’ll help you achieve your home buying dreams!
