10 ways to keep your home warm this winter
Perth has seen a chilly winter this year, with nightly temperatures dropping into the single degrees! Here’s some great easy ways to keep you and your home warm in winter whilst saving some extra money on your energy bill.
1. Go Natural
Warming your house doesn’t have to mean using your heater for all hours, and just because its winter doesn’t mean it rains all day. Perth usually has beautiful sunny days, why not maximise that? By opening the blinds and allowing the sunshine to come through, your house will be warmed naturally in the day. Then when the sun sets or hides away for the afternoon, close up your blinds to trap in the extra heat! You can add an extra insulation by changing your blinds in the winter months to thicker or even thermal built blinds.
2. Use the heater sparingly
Do you need the heater on all night if you’re rugged up? One of the easiest tricks is to add extra blankets! Feeling snuggly in bed is a great sensation in winter time and heaters can dry out the air in your home. Add some heavy blankets to your bed and switch to flannelette sheets to trap in the warmth all night long and give your heater a rest. Same goes for when you’re watching TV. Put on a big jumper, wrap up in a blanket and put on some cosy socks – all easy things you can do to stay warm without the rise of your energy bill. A few other tricks include setting a timer for your heater, lowering the thermostat and only turning it on to get the chill out of the air.
3. Warm the floor
If your household has mostly wooden floors, tiles or vinyl in the main areas, a great way to warm up a big space like a living room is to throw down a plush rug! A rug can be an inexpensive item that creates a warming environment for the whole home and gives the kids somewhere to sit when playing in winter.
4. Block the draft
Remember those draft stoppers that looked like snakes? You don’t have to go out and buy expensive objects for your home, why not try rolling up a towel and placing it under the door? Or have a DIY day with some rice or corn, stuffing and old big socks! Windows can let a lot of cold air in too and over the years the so be sure to patch these up.
5. Use a warmer
An age old classic from your grandmother that seem will be around for centuries to come – dig out the hot water bottle! You can get some funky designs for your kids or a nice snuggly cosy for you, just cover your water bottle, fill with hot water and cuddle. A heat pack is also a great alternative.
6. Hang your clothes out
We can all get a bit lazier in the winter months, but while you’re utilising those sunny days for bringing warmth into your home, it’s a good chance to pop outside and hang out your washing! A dryer – although definitely needed sometimes, can use up to A drying rack inside the house is an easy idea for when you need it inside. And remember, when using the dryer – open up the laundry door so the extra moisture and warmth filters through the house.
7. Reverse your ceiling fans
Most people don’t even realise this little trick, but you can reverse your ceiling fans through either a cord or a switch on the side. Don’t worry it doesn’t blow around cold air like you’re used to in Summer but simply is there to push the warm air down, creating a much cosier environment
8. Check your bills
If your energy bill is noticeably higher than usual, there are some things in your home you can check. Who is in the house the majority of the time and are they sticking to short showers? Is there a new addition to the home? Are all your appliances working well? Old appliances that need updating can often use more electricity than when they first started. By checking your bills you can find out what in your environment you’ve changed since the last one and adjust accordingly.
9. Do you need more insulation?
Heat can escape and enter through the roof, which is why it’s important to have insulation in our attics year round. Did you know just a 5% gap can dramatically drop insulation effectiveness by a huge 50%? Insulation can break down and should be replaced every 20-25 years to feel its full potential.
10. Warm up from the inside
If all else fails there’s nothing better than sipping on a hot drink – some piping hot coffee in the morning to get you going, a fragrant herbal tea for sleepy evenings or a hot chocolate for those special occasions and for the kiddies. You could also spend a few hours getting creative with some homemade winter fresh soup to warm you from the inside out!