Keeping your house warm in winter can be tough when you live in colder climates. This is particularly true if one of your goals is to also keep your energy bills low at the same time. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to keep the inside of your home nice and warm throughout a chilly winter without overdoing your energy usage.
Use Your Curtains Wisely
Your window dressings already serve multiple purposes for your home. They can add a polished look to any room and help give you an element of privacy. They can also serve as a helpful tool to regulate the temperature of your house throughout the winter.
If the winter months where you live aren’t completely void of sunshine, you can use that to your advantage. Pull your curtains open on sunny days to take full advantage from the warmth that the sun can provide. If you have a particularly well-insulated house then this method can be very effective, so much so that you might not need to run your central heating as much during those sunnier days.
At night your curtains can serve as an extra layer of insulation over your windows. Make sure to draw all the curtains in your home closed during the night to keep the cold out and the warmth in.
Utilize Your Fireplace
Your fireplace isn’t just a lovely design focal point for your living room. It is also a great way to warm up your house during those particularly cold winter nights. Get a decent fire going in the early evening when the sun starts to disappear to create relaxing warmth throughout your home.
While some more traditional styles of gas fireplace might cost too much to run on a regular basis, balanced flue gas fires are actually a more affordable and energy efficient option. These fireplaces are also a great way to enjoy a fire without the added risk of having a naked flame burning. Keep in mind that whenever you have a fire going at home that there are certain measures to take so that no accidents occur.
Cover Your Floors
If you have hardwood, tile, or laminate floors then you might consider adding some area rugs to the open spaces in your home in order to keep rooms warmer. Not only will this prevent your feet from feeling the cold that can get trapped in hard flooring but you will also help stop heat from escaping through your floors.
If you live in a climate that is generally colder for most of the year then you might need to think about going the extra mile and switching out your current flooring for carpet. While this isn’t a particularly attractive option for those who love hardwood flooring, it can add up to some significant cost savings in the long run as carpeted rooms are much better at keeping warmth in than other types of flooring.