Inexpensive ways to heat your home in winter

Winter is undoubtedly the coldest season. This automatically creates the need to heat your house. The most significant disadvantage that accompanies heating a home is the associated high utility bills. However, there are less expensive and environmentally friendly ways that you can keep your house warm during winter as discussed below.

Passive solar heating
By utilising alternative green sources such as passive solar heating, you can save significantly. Passive solar heating takes advantage of the sun’s free heat, which is both renewable and constant. It makes use of a home’s climate, materials and site to minimise the use of energy. When properly designed, passive solar heating is efficient. Having passive solar heaters installed by an experienced solar designer will ensure that it is appropriately installed as per your home’s configurations and works at maximum efficiency.

A wood stove
Traditional wooden stove pollutes the air and can reduce your home’s air quality. However, today advanced stoves which are certified by environmental protection agencies have been developed. They produce less smoke and are highly efficient. They are a popular alternative of heating homes during winter and offers significant savings of heating wood. They also have an attractive design that provides the house with a cosy feel.

Have a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat will ensure a high heating efficiency while bills remain low. Instead of switching your thermostat on and off each time you get into the house and leave it, having a programmable automatic thermostat will be more efficient. You can program your thermostat according to different times of the day based on the amount of heat needed. 

Geothermal heating
While geothermal heating systems have a high initial cost, the investment is worth it and will pay within five to eight years. It also adds a significant sum to your home’s resale value. Geothermal heating is one of the heating methods that are environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Its price of installation per 2,500 square foot house is about $20,000 to $25,000. 

Move your sofa
Your room may be looking great even with your sofa positioned in front of the radiator. However, at this position, the couch is absorbing heat which could otherwise be warming your room. Ensure that you move the sofa away from the radiator to allow for the free circulation of hot air. The same should apply for curtains, ensure curtains are not directly in front of the radiator so that the house is warmed adequately.

Propane
While the cost of electricity varies from region to region based on various factors, propane is usually cheaper. It burns more efficiently and hotter, implying that you require less to keep your home heated. Thus you can use propane to heat your home in winter cheaply.

Maximise your insulations
It has been proven that around 25% of the home’s heat is lost through the roof. This can be reduced easily by fitting 25cm of insulation coating throughout the loft. Also, look out in the walls ensuring there are no cavities through which heat can get lost if there’s any cavity have it insulated. This way you’ll save on heating cost.

Check on your ceiling fans.
If you have a ceiling fan in your home, they may just be sitting pointlessly during winter. Depending on your fan, most of them have a winter setting. This setting reverses the fan so that it now moves in the opposite direction to its normal direction. Since heat rises, when the fan rotates in the opposite direction, it will thrust the heat back down into the room. To ensure efficiency set the fan to rotate at low speeds.

Add layers to your wooden floor
It has been established that wooden floors account for up to 10% of the total heat loss in a home. To keep your house warm during winter, avoid heat losses in wooden floors using rugs and carpets on the floors. The carpets and rugs help trap heat.

In conclusion, with the cold that accompanies winter, lack of sufficient means to warm your house can adversely affect your health. To ensure a warm house and stay during winter always incorporate the heating tips above in your home. Another essential tip to help you save on heating bills is ensuring that you buy electric heaters from reputable platforms and stores. Review sites such as the UK collected reviews can help you identify reputable stores offering energy-efficient home heaters. You can also read reviews about homeware stores offering these heaters. Ensure you go for the stores with positive reviews.