Make These Quick Changes for a Warmer Home

Turning up the heat can give homeowners a welcome reprieve from the outdoor chill. However, be warned: poor home efficiency could drive up your heating bills and prevent your home from getting warm enough for comfort. Here are a few quick and easy energy-saving tips that will go miles toward helping you stay cozy and warm this winter.

Close Off Unused Rooms

One of the easiest ways to keep your house warmer is to close the doors to rarely used rooms, thus ensuring that any heat that you generate or let inside will stay contained with a smaller area. This will keep more warm air confined to the rooms that you use most often for a longer period of time.

Guard Your Rooms with Thick Curtains

Thick curtain material can help stop heat from escaping through an exposed window—especially at night when your home receives no heat from sunlight. However, if your windows are comparatively thick, you may want to consider leaving your curtains open during the daytime; thicker windows let in enough sunlight to warm your home, and that warmth is less likely to escape.

Don’t Block the Radiator

Make sure not to position any furniture in front of the radiator, or you could waste money heating your furniture instead of the rest of your home. If possible, place your furniture against interior walls to avoid losing radiant body heat through any nearby windows. To make the most of your radiator, try placing a sheet of aluminum foil behind it; this will help redirect heat to the rest of the room.

Seal Off Your Chimney

Large amounts of heat can escape unnoticed through an open chimney. It can be expensive to have a chimney cap installed, but purchasing a chimney balloon is a relatively cheap way of keeping your fireplace sealed—just remember to remove the balloon before you light a fire.

Cover Up Bare Floors

Bare wooden floors aren’t ideal for trapping heat, and they can be unpleasantly cold to walk on in the winter. Adding an area rug or carpet to your hardwood floors can help you keep warm by providing an extra layer of insulation.

Taking small steps to make your home more efficient can help you save on your utility bills, make the most of your home heating system, and stay comfortable all winter long.