Now that we’re in the middle of winter, don’t panic if your heater breaks down! Believe it or not, there are a number of ways to warm your home without using a heater.
Fireplace
A fireplace is a great way of heating your home without using your furnace or heater. In fact, many people maximize their use of fireplaces during the colder months while minimizing the use of heaters and furnaces. This saves energy and money while providing effective heating.
Properly Seal Windows and Doors
Leaky windows and doors let cold air in and warm air out. Therefore, it’s important to properly air seal your home. The easiest way to detect drafts is by hand – you can feel for cool spots around door and window openings. Or better still, get an energy audit to find out exactly where the leaks are occurring and how to best seal them.
Maximize Nature’s Warmth
Strategic use of sun, and placement of trees and shrubs can go a long way in keeping your home warm when it’s cold outside.
- Place a row of evergreen trees to shield your home from harsh winter winds.
- Plant shrubs and bushes around the perimeter of your home, around one foot from walls to act as an insulator in winter.
- Shrubs can help trap snow and reduce drifts when placed along the windiest side of your home.
- Use dense windbreaks to protect your home from cold winter winds.
- Ensure the winter sun reaches south-facing windows.
- Try and make sure you get as much sun in the house as possible during daylight hours.
- Close drapes in the evening to keep heat in.
Shut the Door!
The closed door can be a simple yet powerful tool to help keep your home warm. It stops air from leaving the room, thereby conserving heat and reducing heat loss.
Use More Rugs and Carpeting
Rugs and carpeting work as insulation to trap heat in rooms. Liberal use of area rugs and carpeting in larger rooms can help keep rooms warm without necessarily using a heating source.
Candles and Lighting
Traditional incandescent light bulbs might not be as energy efficient as their compact fluorescent counterparts (CFLs), but if you’re trying to warm your home without a heater, then turning on the lights does help. Incandescent light bulbs can generate quite a bit of heat; candles will also create light that emits heat, although not as much as light bulbs.
Cook More!
This is one of the most effective ways to warm your home! Your stove and oven generate lots of heat; take advantage of this to cook great meals, bake wonderful desserts and make your kitchen the warmest room in the house! A bonus is that with all the warmth and great food in the kitchen, family and friends will gather there and you’ll get to spend more quality time with them!
While these are great tips on how to warm your home without a heater, there’s nothing quite like an energy efficient heating system when it gets really cold! Contact your local certified RESNET Home Energy Professional to learn more about energy efficient heating options.