Step away from the thermostat! Find out how to make your house warmer without a big power bill!
Yes, it’s cold but did you know you don’t have to have your heat pump thermostat maxed out or have your temperature settings turned all the way up. There are other ways to make your home warmer and tricks to help keep heat where it belongs – inside.
Regardless of the type of heating you have – from heat pumps to a fireplace there are ways you can make the most out of the heat produced by following a few simple tips and tricks!
Keeping your home warmer won’t just make you comfortable or retain heat in your home – it’s going to save you money too.
Check out these surprisingly useful ways to help keep your home warm, cosy and toasty when it’s cold– while still keeping your energy bills down.
Start with a heat pump for efficient heating
Heat pumps are one of the most energy-efficient and healthy ways to create a warmer home! Coupled with the use of some of these tips and tricks they are a great solution to save money on energy bills, doing your bit for the environment, and efficiently heating your home. Check out some of the stats and FAQs here.
We stand by Mitsubushi Electic heat pumps and heating systems – so if this is something your keen to learn more about get in touch with us.
Keep your curtains shut
Without daylight savings time means the warmth of the sun leaves us a little earlier than we’d all probably like. But, closing your curtains early will help trap warmth indoors. Around 3 pm seems to be the ideal time when the outdoor temperature is just starting to cool off.
If you have blinds over your windows – try adding a fabric curtain over top for optimum heat retention.
Good quality thermal lined or coated curtains are going to be your best option for keeping heat indoors!
Rearrange your furniture
Sometimes the simple act of moving your furniture around can help you keep warmer and therefore less tempted to run your heating at full steam. This is a simple solution to create a warmer home.
It is not uncommon for people to have a ‘winter’ or ‘summer’ set up in their living rooms. Rearranging or restyling your furniture in the winter months to face your heat pump or heat source is a great way to make the most of the heat. You will feel the heat the closer you are to it and that way you won’t need to have the thermostat set higher.
Sometimes even simple things like adding a throw over your lounge or couch will help you feel cosier and warmer too!
Use draught stoppers
Especially during the cooler seasons, we feel more draughts through our homes.
You know those long sausage-shaped pillows you can find in Mitre10 or Bunnings or many other home stores? Yes, grab some of those!
Draught stoppers (while not always the nicest looking things) are really effective at helping stop draughts and drafts and chills! It will help to keep your home more comfortable and retain your heating.
Plus, they are pretty cheap to buy – or even make one yourself and last for a long time!
Have you got insulation?
Insulation is a tricky one – you either have some of it, or all of it in your home or quite possibly none at all.
If your home isn’t fully insulated – especially older homes – it may benefit you, in the long run, to have it installed. The costs of installing insulation will vary from company to company and also by the type of insulation you want. The higher the R level the more expensive the price per insulation bale it will usually be.
Insulation does have a life span – some really good quality insulation has a life of up to 80 years. You may just need to upgrade or replace your insulation or R level if necessary.
“An insulating material’s resistance to conductive heat flow is measured or rated in terms of its thermal resistance or R-value — the higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness. The R-value depends on the type of insulation, its thickness, and its density. The R-value of some insulations also depends on temperature, ageing, and moisture accumulation. When calculating the R-value of a multilayered installation, add the R-values of the individual layers. – EnergyGov”
The New Zealand Government also has a “warm home” initiative – find out more here.
If you want to seriously save money on your winter heating bills, then have a look around at your options for insulation. Make sure you check out different options in R values and get a few different companies to quote.
Get a rug!
A rug can be an inexpensive way to help keep heat in. Especially if your home does not have underfloor insulation!
The best placement for a rug would be in front of your lounge suite – it’ll help keep warm air there longer.
It is also very trendy to have lots of layered rugs! So, this will definitely work for keeping your home warmer and being on trend!
These are especially useful if you have polished concrete flooring, floorboards or tiles! Keep your toes happy and get a rug or two!
How to make your house warmer by using a fan?
Crazy right? A fan in winter?
Note to self: this is a great idea if you have ceiling fans with a reverse setting. The reverse setting on the fan will help push warm air back down towards you, as we all know heat rises!
Super easy!
Get your heat pump serviced
This one may seem like a no brainer but a lot of us often simply forget to have this done. Fireplaces should be cleaned out regularly, heat pumps filters should be cleaned and serviced, even our store-bought heaters sometimes need a bit of maintenance.
If in doubt get in touch with a professional to have a look and make sure everything is working as it should be! We specialize in Mitsubishi Electric heating systems so give us a call if you need your Mitsubishi Electric heat pump serviced.
When you need an instant boost of warmth
- Layers, layers, layers – popping a dressing gown on over your PJ’s or a jacket over your clothes will help you feel warmer instantly!
- Have some soup! Nothing quite warms your insides like a good warm cup of soup!
- Wear a hat – a lot of our body heat leaves through our head! (I guess that’s why some of us have hair!) Fear not – popping a beanie on will help your head with or without hair retain heat.
- Swap out buying takeaways for cooking or baking something instead – ovens generate a lot of heat and standing in front of one as it warms up ready for your masterpiece meal will help you feel warm and also help warm up your home!
So, there you have it – how to create a warmer home by following these simple tricks and tips!
We are specialists in Mitsubishi Electric heating systems and heat pumps. We have a great team of specialists in home heating systems. We pride ourselves in quality customer service and you can find out more about what our clients have to say here.
Our motto is: Do it once and do it right – understanding what our customers want and making it happen!
We offer free quotes so if you want to find out more about what heating systems are right for your home get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
