The FREE way to keep your home warm without turning on the heating
WITH hundreds of hacks all promising to reduce your energy bills, it can be difficult to know which ones actually work.
Especially if some of them start looking for special gadgets to prevent the heating from being on in colder weather.
2
2
But according to an interior design expert, there is a smart way to keep your home warm – and it’s completely free.
Plus, it can be done in just a few minutes.
“The simple trick to saving on energy bills is to optimize the layout of your furniture,” says Daniel Ufland, one of the co-founders of Flashan online interior styling platform, explained.
“A suboptimal space layout can negatively impact heating efficiency, leading to higher energy consumption and bills.
Read more Heating Stories
“Optimizing the layout of your room is a practical way to improve heating efficiency in your home, with the added bonus of improving aesthetics.”
By being smarter about furniture placement, you can ensure that heat sources work more efficiently.
First check if there is anything blocking your radiator.
“Is there a bed, curtain, sofa, comfortable chair or something similar right in front of your radiator?” Daniel asked.
“If so, the item is absorbing heat from the heat source.
“You’re actually spending money on heating your couch, which keeps the rest of the room cool or even cold.
“By moving your furniture away from radiators you can dramatically improve heat distribution, allowing warm air to circulate freely throughout the room.”
If you don’t have the space to rearrange the room, don’t panic, as even slightly increasing the distance between the radiator and the furniture can have a big impact.
“You don’t need a complete renovation of your living space to save on house costs in the winter,” Daniel said.
“Sometimes you just need a fresh look at your existing home layout to save energy, go greener and keep your bills low.”
5 ways to keep your house warm in winter
Real estate expert Joshua Houston shared his tips.
1. Curtains
“Windows are a common place for the cold from outside to enter your home, this is due to small openings that can let air in, so always close your curtains as soon as it gets dark,” he said.
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth because it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
2. Rugs
“Your floor is another part of your home where heat can be lost and make your home feel cold,” he continued. “On cold days you may notice that your floor is not pleasant to walk on because your feet are freezing.
“Add rugs to areas that don’t already have carpet. This will provide a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
3. Check your insulation
Check your pipes, attic space, crawl spaces and under floorboards.
“Loose insulation is great for this, and it is a more affordable form of insulation, with a large bag being picked up for around £30,” explains Joshua.
4. Keep your interior doors closed
“Household members often congregate in one room in the evening, which is usually the kitchen or living room,” says Joshua.
“This means you only need to heat a small part of your home and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
5. Block drafts
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and mailboxes as these can let in cold air if they are not properly secured.
And when it comes to choosing a spot for your large furniture pieces, such as sofas, beds and large chairs, it’s always best to place them next to an exterior wall.
This means they act as wall insulators, reducing the amount of cold air radiating from the walls into your room and preventing the heat in your room from being absorbed by the wall.
“If you have tall furniture, such as a bookshelf or a thick curtain, use that. Remember that heat rises, so tall furniture insulates the wall higher up, where heat usually escapes,” Daniel added.
