Heat without heat: How to keep warm at home while lowering your heating bill
Staying warm is a necessity to surviving New England winters. But that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to heat your home.
According to goodhousekeeping.com, follow these helpful tips to keep your house without touching the thermostat.
1. Close up any cracks in your window frame. Even the tiniest crack can allow heat to escape and cold air to enter. Rachel Rothman, technical and engineering director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, recommends using a flashlight or candle to check for drafts. At night, just have someone stand on the other side of your light source and if you can see it, you should caulk the area to seal the crack.
2. Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan. That ceiling fan has more uses than you may think. By reversing the direction of the fan, hot air gathered near the ceiling will then be pushed down and throughout the home.
3. Invest in the best blankets. You can’t put a price on comfort - or warmth.
4. Make your curtains work harder. “When the sun is out keep your shades open so the warmth can shine onto the glass and create a slight warming effect on your home, but at night close ‘em up to add extra insulation against the cold,” says Goodhousekeeping.com
5. Use draft stoppers on your doors. Spaces under your door are like thermal exhaust ports on Death Stars. They must be eliminated for optimal efficiency.
6. Cover your floors with rugs. Heat can sink through floorboards. Laying a rug down can help trap heat in the building.
7. Prevent drafts around electric outlets. “If you’ve ever noticed a slight chill when you go to plug in your smartphone, you’re not imagining it. To block that air out, pick up an outlet insulator from your local home improvement store,” says goodhousekeeping.com
8. Close off rooms you don’t use often. If guests are the only ones using your guest rooms, keep them closed to keep air from dispersing there.
9. Install a programmable thermostat. “Nifty programmable devices, like the Nest thermostat, help you heat your home more efficiently by lowering the temp just a few degrees when you’re not home,” says goodhouskeeping.com
10. Check your roof for potential leaks. Avoid rain and snow leaking into your home.
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