How to keep heating expenses low in the winter?
By kris182_2000
@kris182_2000 (5444)
Canada
October 12, 2010 12:13pm CST
I recently moved to a good sized house with a fireplace and gas heating and I'm wondering how to keep it warm in the winter without my gas bill skyrocketing during that time.
Besides using the fireplace which only heats the living room, I'm wondering what my options are this winter.
I have vertical blinds in the living room, the window is south facing with lots of light by mid day. It stays fairly warm which is great, and I know that helps.
However, the bedroom window faces north, no sunlight comes in, and it's the coldest room in the house.
I have curtains up but the window is cold and I'm wondering if putting up a second set of curtains on the rod will help retain the warmth. The bedroom is large, it has 2 heat registers, one currently covered by a dresser and I'm planning on moving it off of it, hoping it will help the situation. The problem is that the register is below the window, and I'm not sure if it will make a difference in keeping the room warm.
The fridge is in the dining room not the kitchen, but it's right by the window, also north facing. The window there is larger than the bedroom window, but smaller than the living room one, but the living room and dining room are open concept, no walls separating them from each other. There is no curtain up on the window, I haven't found anything suitable for it, and we do like being able to look into the backyard from that window.
The kitchen window is small, so there's no real worry about heat escaping from it, but it's only covered with a sheer curtain. It is also north facing. The floor is ceramic type tile, and is extremely cold, but we have a long rug running through it, mainly for the dog, but also to prevent us from walking on the cold floor.
I don't worry about the basement since we don't use it, we have someone living down there who takes care of what he needs.
I also don't worry about the other bedrooms on our floor as we have a roommate in one, it's a south facing window and his room gets hot. The middle room is warm, but we don't need to heat it that much since we have guinea pigs and hamsters in there and try to keep it a little cooler for them.
So does anyone have any tips or advice for me to keep the place warm without running the heat so high all the time?
1 person likes this
9 responses
@wiggles18 (2506)
• Canada
12 Oct 10
Just use a big fluffy fuzzy blanket and don't keep the heat on too hot. And make use of that fireplace. Use an electric space heater to heat selected rooms, while keeping others cool. Drink hot tea, soup etc...
Those little things really make a difference.
1 person likes this
@wiggles18 (2506)
• Canada
12 Oct 10
Make sure not to cover up the ceramic tile, if it is real stone or ceramic, and not the plastic look a like stuff, when the sun is shining on it, because it is a heat sink, which will bring in a lot of heat that stays long after the sun goes down. A lot of people now know about the heat sink think, which is why people are having polished cement floors in eco-homes( they help stay warm in winter, and help stay cool in summer, great both ways :D).
Technically, the rugs, would work better hanged on the wall, to insulate XD,especially if they are real fur pelt rugs.
@kris182_2000 (5444)
• Canada
24 Oct 10
I think we have porcelain tile in the kitchen, through the hall and into the bathroom. No sunlight gets there though as it's all on the north side of the house.
@sjlskl (3382)
• Singapore
12 Oct 10
Go gather some dry woods during autumn and when winter comes, light them up in the fireplace. There is always this idea in me. Lay some copper tube around the house. Since you will be lighting the fireplace, boil water over it and pour them into the tube. Have some pump around to ensure that water get circulated around the pipe. The heat generated around it should be able to warm up the room. Of course, you will need a lot of water to do it.
1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
12 Oct 10
We plastic our windows and close off any rooms we don't have to use. When it is really cold outside, we hang a blanket and block off the upstairs, there are no water pipes up there, blow up an air mattress and sleep on the first floor. It does help.
@kris182_2000 (5444)
• Canada
12 Oct 10
We live in a bungalow so no worries about another floor, just the basement, but we don't use it except for storage.
@kris182_2000 (5444)
• Canada
12 Oct 10
I doubled up on the bedroom curtains, so hopefully that helps. I moved the dresser off the vent, but cool air comes out. It's a vent that's farther from the furnace, but I'm sure it will warm up soon.
@Rallon (441)
• United States
12 Oct 10
There is a new product that has been out for the past few winters that is awesome! EdenPure heaters use quartz infrared technology that heat rooms evenly instead of just one spot. They are way safer than regular space heaters as you can even touch them without getting burned. They're kind of expensive, but they are worth the money because you will be warm without having to blast a heater that only heats a tiny portion of a room. You should get one!
@kris182_2000 (5444)
• Canada
12 Oct 10
I did a search on these and yes they are expensive.
While they would be a good idea, the problem is the electric bill will rise if I were to use one of these.
I'll have to explore my options.
1 person likes this
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
12 Oct 10
You have already gotten some great ideas. Try these too: decorative door air-blockers (they usually come as some sort of animal); hot water room humidifiers, which help protect against winter dryness, too; and my personal favorite, a dual-zone mattress pad heater for our bed. I keep it higher, my husband keeps his side lower, and we are both comfy all night long! Also, add a strip of molding along the bottoms of your baseboards if there isn't one already--help fight drafts. And put covers on the electric sockets that are not in use--a lot of cold air can come through those. Finally, do a lot of cooking/baking--the oven will automatically heat up the house, and then you can keep it open for quite awhile after you are done cooking to vent the hot air into the house. Same with the dishwasher. Good luck!
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
13 Oct 10
I have found that putting plastic on my windows,(I use the type that shrinks when you heat it so it is less noticable), hanging heavier curtains and shutting them at night, being sure to put draft-blockers at the bottoms of all of the doors that go outside, using a add-on vent with my dryer that allowa the hot, dryer air to help heat the house, and keeping my thermostat set at one temperature, rather than changing the temperature all of the time, and dressing warmer so I need to use the heat less really helps keep my heating bill down. As far as the bedrooms you don't need to have as warm, blocking off those vents will help to push the heat else-where in your home, just make sure that you have the doors shut or the purpose will be defeated.
@his0yir (258)
•
13 Oct 10
I find using fireplace when everyone stays in the same room is the most efficient way to keep everyone warm. Sometimes we stay in the kitchen after cooking and eating for the rest of evening since the heat from cooking keeps us warm. Putting on double glazing windows and thick curtains will help to keep heat inside the house. We also had someone come to our house to put insulation stuff in the space between attic and the roof, it keeps heat staying inside the house too.
Wearing an extra cardigan during winter time is the most common suggestion. But if you do have to use a lot of energy to heat up the house, a cheap sunny holiday might save you some money!
@inday_lorna1970 (1268)
• United States
13 Oct 10
It maybe funny but we have a hand carry heater anywhere we go in the house we stay.. our windows have double panels curtain. After we bake something we let the oven open until it cools and makes our kitchen warm.
All bedrooms are closed so to keep the warm inside..and of course we always drink hot tea, soups. oh we love turtle soups.! we always eat hot or warm but of course ice cream, smoothie once in a while!
