Five Budget-Friendly Ways To Keep Your House Warm This Winter

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Five Budget-Friendly Ways To Keep Your House Warm This Winter-Chispa MagazineWith winter right around the corner, the more cold-blooded of us are trying not to get a little too trigger-happy with the central heating. After all, all the money saving experts are telling us it’s too soon to be reaching for the thermostat just yet.

Most of us are concerned with cutting the costs of running our homes wherever we can, so any chance to reduce our energy bills would be most welcome. We’ve already taken the most common steps, like installing double-glazed windows. But, what other cheap options are there for insulating our homes? Below are a few of our budget-friendly tips for keeping your house warm this winter:

Utilize Natural Heat
When it comes to sources of heat, why not take advantage of the earth’s most natural generator; the sun. Keep your curtains open throughout the day to allow sunlight into your home, and then close them when the sun falls to retain the sun’s natural heat. The thicker your curtains, the more effective they’ll be at trapping the heat from escaping. The best part? It’s the most eco-friendly way to retain heat.

Use Household Items to Maximize Heat Retention
There are a few nifty tricks you can make use of to ensure additional insulation. By placing a layer of reflective tin foil behind your radiators, you stop the heat being absorbed through the walls. You can even buy special transparent strips for your windows to add an extra layer of protection. All these items can be found relatively cheaply, making them cost-effective methods for keeping your house warm.

Keep It Spacious
Make sure you space out all your furniture. All your furnishings too close together (especially next to the radiator) absorbs heat and doesn’t allow it to travel freely. Spacing them out means the heat will travel throughout the room. Try to keep doors closed where you can. This will stop drafts travelling from your colder rooms. It will also isolate the heat to a smaller space, which means you’ll feel the effects more easily.

Insulate Your Roof
It’s important to invest in some insulation foam. It’s not too expensive, and it’s relatively easy to insulate your loft. You can easily find step-by-step instructions online. A significant portion of heat loss can be attributed to poorly insulated roofing. By cutting out this problem, you can maximize your home’s heat retention. To increase its effect, combine it with metal roofing if your roof is damaged, as these are the most durable tiles available.

Look Where Drafts Are Coming From
Sometimes, despite all your hard work to keep your house warm, you can be undone by the simplest of things. Your feline companion coming in and out of the house via its cat flap. Or the mail carrier delivering a hoard of junk mail through the letterbox. Even the smallest of drafts can fill any room with an unforgiving chill, so consider ways to cut out these problem areas. Try placing items of clothing along the bottom of interior doors in order to ‘block’ the cold. Some people even cover their front and back doors with insulated curtains to keep the breeze out. If you can identify where a draft is coming from, you’re halfway to fixing the problem.

Ready for a Bonus?
We are all looking for that little bit extra, aren’t we? Well, here is a bonus tip for you. Check that your energy supplier is the best one for your circumstances. Often we keep the energy supplier that the previous tenants had. Or, we stick with the same company after we move. Unfortunately, this means we aren’t always aware of the best rates. Research the energy providers in your area, and look for ones that have rates that meet your budget.

All these methods are super cost effective, so you won’t have to worry about breaking the bank to keep your home warm this winter. And, they’re a sight cheaper than cranking the thermostat at full blast all day.

Photo by Pavan Trikutam

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Milo Senalle

Milo Senalle

Managing Editor at Chispa Magazine
As one of the managing editors of Chispa Magazine, Milo Senalle is the go-to man for all things technology, ethical, and financial concerns. Providing laughs with his style of writing and problem-solving techniques, Milo is a voice of reason among the girly staff at Chispa. Married with children, living in Atlanta, he works 24/7 on becoming a man of courage and believes honor begins at home.

Milo Senalle

As one of the managing editors of Chispa Magazine, Milo Senalle is the go-to man for all things technology, ethical, and financial concerns. Providing laughs with his style of writing and problem-solving techniques, Milo is a voice of reason among the girly staff at Chispa. Married with children, living in Atlanta, he works 24/7 on becoming a man of courage and believes honor begins at home.