While winter brings the holidays, sweaters and scarves, and cozy nights by the fire, this blustery season also brings higher heating bills. Would you like to know how to heat a house in the cheapest way and how to make it as energy efficient as possible?
if you are Renting a home in Santa Clarita, CAor Buying a home in Long Beach, CAWe’ve collected the 11 cheapest ways to heat a house without breaking the bank.
11 cheapest ways to heat a house
1. Use your fireplace
Wood fireplaces are one of the cheapest ways to heat a home because they use a renewable resource, wood, that is readily available.
Although starting a fire can be a cheap and efficient way to heat your home, you should keep the damper shut when your fireplace is not in use. Leaving the shutter open is like leaving a 48-inch window wide open in the winter, and can add hundreds of dollars in energy bills each winter.
Pro tip: chimney sweep service company, The Floo Network shares, “Upgrading your old fireplace to a wood-burning insert or fireplace retrofit is a great way to improve your home’s heating efficiency. Traditional fireplace designs allow heated air to escape from your home through the chimney. With a wood burning upgrade, you can enjoy improved performance, reliability and safety while saving money on your heating bills.”
2. Use a space heater effectively
There are a few things you can do to make your space heating more effective. By increasing the thermostat setting on your central heating system, the space heating doesn’t have to work as hard. You can also use a fan to circulate the heat from the space heater. Another tip is to make sure the space heater is the right size for the space you want to heat. Finally, place the heater in the right place – not near furniture or walls.
3. Check the ventilation openings
Another tip to reduce heating costs is to clean the ventilation openings. If they are on the floor, make sure they are not blocked by furniture or rugs. This will prevent your heater from working overtime or only providing heat to part of your home. Be sure to close the vents in rooms you are not using and close the door to those rooms. You can take this a step further and block the bottom of the door to unused rooms to prevent warm air escaping from parts of the house you want warm. Air return covers are another simple and inexpensive way to redirect heat to your desired living space.
4. Lower the water heater temperature
Monitoring your water usage is a great way to reduce your heating bills in the winter. Small changes such as For example, taking shorter showers than baths, not leaving the water running, and using cold water for washing can result in large savings.
Also, be sure to lower the temperature of your water heater; Energy.gov claims you can save 3-5 percent on your heating bill for every 10 degrees you turn down your water heater, which shouldn’t exceed a maximum of 120 degrees.
5. Get a smart thermostat
A smart thermostat is a thermostat that can be remotely controlled by a user through a mobile app or web interface. Many different smart thermostat brands are available on the market, each with their own unique set of features and benefits. Some of the most popular brands are Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell and Emerson. Each brand offers different features and benefits that may appeal to different people. Key benefits of a smart thermostat include saving on your energy bills, being able to control your home’s temperature from anywhere, and receiving notifications when your home’s temperature changes.
Smart thermostats typically cost between $100 and $250. Some more popular brands like Nest and Ecobee tend to be at the higher end of this price range.
6. Seal and caulk doors and windows
If you’re feeling cold because warm air is escaping through the gaps under your doors, try this quick fix: Roll up a towel and place it at the base of the door. If you’re clever, you can even make a homemade train snake.
Otherwise, caulking and caulking doors and windows can reduce your energy bills by sealing the gaps around doors and windows. This helps keep the warm air in your home and the cold air out.
If you’re unsure if your windows and doors are drafty, you can easily check by holding a candle near the frame and seeing if it flickers. Once you’ve identified air leaks, apply rubber caulking strips to large gaps and fill smaller areas with caulk.
7. Add insulation to your home
Home insulation is the process of insulating a home to make it more energy efficient. The benefits of home insulation include lower energy bills, a more comfortable home, and a quieter home. The cost of home insulation varies depending on the size and type of home, but it’s usually a relatively affordable home improvement measure.
If your attic or crawl space isn’t properly insulated, it can be a heat sink for your entire home. This will make your heating system work overtime to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, and the harder it works, the more you pay.
8. Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan
Some might think that ceiling fans are only there to keep you cool in the summer, but they can also be the cheapest way to heat a home in the winter. Setting your fan to spin clockwise at low speed pushes the rising warm air toward the ceiling to be blown down the walls and back to the floor. It makes a room feel warmer, allowing you to lower the temperature on your thermostat and save on heating bills.
Reversing the direction of your ceiling fan is easy. Most ceiling fans come with wall or remote controls, making them as easy as pressing a button. If your fan does not have one of these controls, there should be a toggle switch on the motor housing under the blades.
9. Open your windows: let the sun heat your home
On sunny winter days, leave your blinds open so direct sunlight can shine through your windows. This can be one of the most efficient ways to heat your home, not to mention it’s completely free.
This technique is called passive solar heating. It can be maximized if your home features materials such as tile, wood, steel, concrete, or other materials that can act as a heat sink in warmer months and a heat source in colder months.
Knowing the right times to keep your blinds or curtains closed can also help reduce heating bills. On cloudy days or when the sun goes down, closing your blinds and curtains will help retain heat by acting as an insulator between the cold glass and the space you want to keep warm.
10. Tell your family and roommates about saving energy
There are a few things you can do to educate your family and roommates about saving energy so you can save money on heating your home this winter. Explain why saving energy is important. This not only saves you money on your energy bill, but also helps Reduce your home’s carbon footprint. Show them how easy it is to save energy. Turning off lights when you leave a room, unplugging electronic devices when not in use, and wearing warmer clothes around the house can all help conserve energy.
Help them understand the different ways they can save energy. For example, turn the thermostat down a few degrees by using energy efficient Light bulbs and caulking any cracks or gaps around doors and windows will help retain heat in your home and lower your energy bills. Encourage them to make a habit of saving energy. The more everyone in your house stays on board with energy conservation, the more money you’ll save on your energy bills.
11. Put on a sweater and upgrade your linens
You don’t have to wear a parka around the house, but throw on a sweater and a pair of wool socks or buy a warm, fluffy robe for when you’re roaming the house this winter.
You can also keep warm at night by making sure your bedding is up to par. Down-filled comforters are very effective at trapping heat. For the warmest option, we recommend a fill power of 600-plus. A blanket’s fill power can often be found on the tag or label.
Hopefully these tips will keep you warm all winter long
After reading this guide you will now have a better understanding of how to heat your home cheaply this winter. The best way to cheaply heat your home this winter is to use a combination of methods. By using space heating in conjunction with insulation and draft protection, you can significantly reduce your heating costs. Using natural sunlight and fans to circulate warm air can also help keep your home warm without breaking the bank. You should plan to implement some of the tips and tricks discussed to keep your home warm and toasty all season long.
