How to Keep Your House Warmer This Winter

Now that the temperatures are starting to drop, it’s time to start thinking about ways to keep your home warm without breaking the bank. That means grabbing the blankets and down comforters out of the closet, weatherizing the house, and keeping an eye on that thermostat. The colder it gets, the costlier it can be. Yet, not if you check out these tips for keeping your house warm this winter. I think we’d all rather spend our hard-earned bucks on holiday shopping instead of fighting the bitter cold outside. We’re going to help you save more money with these simple hints for staying comfortable indoors.

Space Heaters

Whether or not you have central heating, you can still pick up a space heater or two and give the main system (and your wallet) a much-needed break. But when you’re looking into making a purchase be sure to compare your options carefully. A portable unit can go into any room of the house while the larger units capable of a hotter output tend to stay in one place for maximum efficiency. Be careful of unvented combustion units as they can emanate unhealthy pollutants into your home. Some states ban the use of these types of heaters. Always remember to give your heater a wide berth and never to leave it plugged in when unattended.

Heating with Propane

If you’re currently in the market to buy or even rent a home, you should make propane heating a high priority. It’s much cheaper than electricity, runs with more efficiency than natural gas, and cleaner than traditional oil. All of these things make propane the smart choice when it comes to heating your home in the winter. Quarles delivers propane throughout Virginia and it’s easy to use and manage propane whether your tank is above ground or below. Depending on the size of your tank, you may not need deliveries more than a few times a year.

Programmable Thermostat

Set it and forget it. That’s the mantra of most homeowners who have a programmable thermostat in their house. Using this method, you can keep your heating costs down and the efficiency of your usage high since you won’t be constantly changing the temperature on the thermostat. Doing so can reduce your efficiency and you can pay more in the end. Programming the thermostat at certain temperatures for certain times of the week will ensure that the heat is only working when there aren’t other sources of warmth to be called upon.

Natural Sunlight

When the sun is out, use it to heat your home until it goes down. So keep those curtains open and enjoy this free heat source for as long as possible. Walk around the house and identify where the sun comes in the most and open those shades and curtains. For the areas that don’t get as much sunlight, you can keep those curtains and shades shut. Doing so will help retain the heat you are pulling in, and be sure to shut the drapes and curtains on those windows that do get sunlight as well so you can keep more warmth inside.