The coldest months of the year are quickly approaching. Every year, we strive to maximize our home’s efficiency, keeping cool in the summer and holding in the heat during the winter. But are you doing everything you can be doing to keep the warmth and minimize your costs this holiday season? Keep reading below to find our tips on how to stay warm this winter!
Bring on the Layers
The first thing you can do to stay warm is layer up on your clothing. This is a simple strategy, and one that doesn’t require any home heating or updates to utilize. A good pair of long underwear, pants, shirts, and sweatshirts can be combined to operate comfortably while lounging around your house. The benefit to this method, aside from saving on energy costs, is that you can remove or add layers throughout the say depending on the temperature. You also can leave the house temperature cooler if necessary for the comfort of other family members.
When it’s time to sleep, bring on the blankets!
Block the Drafts
Particularly if you have an older home, you may find yourself battling drafty rooms. Gaps along windows and doors and the biggest problem spots for this type of problem. Roll up a towel (or purchase mat specifically for the purpose) and place it along the bottom of your main doorway to keep the cold air out and your warm air in! The more warmth you keep in your house, the less your home’s heating system needs to work.
Be Judicious with Heating Options
Depending on the type of heating system you have in your home, you may be able to selectively heat the rooms in your house. If you spend a majority of your time in your living room, for example, then making sure that room is a comfortable temperature is top priority. Heating your unfinished basement is likely far less of a priority. For those with state-of-the-art heating systems, you can probably do this with your home’s built-in system. If that isn’t an option, perhaps consider keeping the overall temperature lower but utilizing a few well-placed space heaters in key rooms.
Adjust Food and Drink Choices
It may seem silly, but foods traditionally associated with winter, such as soups and hot drinks, can have a profound physical and mental effect on your overall warmth. Consider including more hot beverages (tea, coffee, and cocoa) and foods (soups, chili, etc) to keep you warm.
Hydrate!
It may seem counter-intuitive, but staying hydrated is key to your body’s proper operation. This includes regulating body temperature. If you want to stay warm, make sure you are drinking enough water.
Install Window Film for Insulation
There are a variety of reasons to install window film (and a variety of types of film), but a simple reason is to improve the insulation quality of your windows. Cheaper than installing new windows, film can be a cost efficient way to make your home more comfortable this winter. Film is generally equated to adding a pane to the window, so a single pane becomes double, a double becomes triple, and so on. A combination of window film and blocking the drafty doors can make your old home feel brand new!
