subject: 3 Ways To Warm Up Your Home Without Turning On The Heat [print this page] Conserving energy at home is one smart way to benefit the environment and keep heating bills affordable in colder weather. By making a few simple changes around the house, you can stay warm and toasty indoors, without having to crank up the heat this winter.
1. Get an indoor fireplace. Today, indoor gel fireplaces come in all shapes and sizes, including stand-alone models and contemporary wall mounts. Even better, an indoor fireplace is stylish and affordable and can provide added warmth in a commonly used room, like a living room or kitchen. If you don't have a fireplace built in your home already, all hope isn't lost. You can buy an independent indoor electric fireplace to warm up your living area; even better, indoor fireplaces are eco-friendly and burn clean without any mess to clean up afterward.
2. Put on a sweater. This may seem like a no-brainer but dressing in warmer clothing indoors will allow you to turn down the heat several degrees to save money on electricity. If you're lounging around the house watching TV or reading a book, warm up with a quilt or blanket instead of turning on the heater. If you find that your kids are constantly complaining about the chilly weather, encourage them to wear layers at home to stay comfortable, even while sleeping.
3. Reverse fans. We're all familiar with the principle that heat rises. So, when you reverse your ceiling fans in colder weather, it will help to naturally push warm air back down to ground level. This tactic can be used in each and every room in your house to keep family members cozy throughout the day and especially while sleeping to keep heating costs to a minimum. For rooms without fans, consider warming up with a hot water bottle or a low-energy electric blanket instead.
Even in colder weather, using less heat in winter months can make a world of difference in the amount that you pay on your energy bills. Heating expenses can make up more than one third of a home's total energy consumption, costing you a serious chunk of change as the weather gets colder.
For the best results, ask all family members to pitch in and around the house to put on warmer clothing and use heating alternatives instead of cranking up the heater at the first sign of snowfall.
It also helps to make a home as energy-efficient as possible inside and out to get more bang for your buck when using a traditional heater. This includes making simple modifications to a home like installing double-pane windows to prevent heat loss and investing in a high-efficiency heating system when it's time to upgrade your household heater.
In the wintertime, most home experts recommend keeping the thermostat at roughly 68 and setting it to as low as 60 while sleeping. These minimal changes at home can help you save up to 10% in energy by conserving heat without having to compromise your comfort indoors!
