It’s difficult to stay warm in the winter without turning on the heater. But homeowners who are broke and freezing often need more than layers of clothing or blankets to stay warm. They want to walk freely and enjoy themselves within their home. If money is tight, these four tips will loosen the wallet.
Turn on the Ceiling Fan
In the summer, ceiling fans are on counterclockwise to absorb heat upward and cool air downward. In the winter, the ceiling fan is perfect to push rising heat downward and cold air upward. Simply turn the ceiling fan clockwise on a low setting to achieve this. The ceiling fan reduces dependence on heaters, and the heater reduction due to ceiling fans means a significant savings on the electric bill.
Warm the Floor with Rugs
Consider covering cold floors with rugs or area carpets. The approach stops indoor heat from seeping through the floors to the cold area below. It also keeps feet toasty warm while walking on it. Bare floors without rugs or carpet bring cold air underneath the floors into the home. As the rugs channel heat, it keeps bare parts of the floor warm, too. While rugs or carpets are more effective on laminate, tile, and hardwood floors, all floor types can benefit. Rugs and area carpets also cover cracks or holes in the floor.
Use the Oven and Range
Skip eating out in the winter and cook meals in the oven. Bake, broil, roast, grill, and toast food in the oven often. The heat simultaneously cooks food and warms up the home while it’s on. Open the oven door when it’s off to enjoy the heat longer. Homes with insulation, caulk, weather-stripping, and plastic window covers will circulate the oven heat throughout the home hours after the oven is off. Cooking on the cooking range helps provide warmth to the home, too.
Let In the Sunshine
Open the window shutter during the day. Let the heat from natural sunlight warm the home. Turn off heating systems when the windows are open. After the sun goes down, close the shutters to keep the heat inside and prevent cooler air from making the already toasty home colder. Turn on the heating systems then.
Winter’s chill is unforgiving, and these tips will create layers of barriers to keep much-needed heat inside and unwanted cold air outside. Just because you stretched the budget thin doesn’t mean it’s okay to freeze to death. Let these four tips be the outline to staying warm this winter.
