7 Tips for A Warm Home Without Blowing the Energy Bill

Are you worried about switching on the heater this winter? Don't worry; there are other ways to keep your home toasty warm without burning a hole in your wallet. Because, after all, who says you need to spend a fortune to keep the cold weather at bay? So put on your coziest socks, grab a hot cuppa, and dive into these energy-saving hacks that'll make winter bearable — and maybe even enjoyable. Here's how to heat up a cold room, cold bed, or cold home!

A quick, simple, and most importantly, cost-effective way to heat your home is to shut the curtains. Surprisingly, simply keeping the curtains closed can significantly improve the amount of heat trapped in your home. Make sure to open them during the day to take advantage of the sun's radiant heat, but close them during the evening to prevent heat escaping. This will help to maintain a comfortable temperature and also help reduce the need to use energy-intensive heaters. By upgrading your standard curtains to thermal curtains designed to trap heat more effectively, you can learn how to heat up a cold room while keeping energy costs low. Remember, every bit of warmth counts; little actions can make a big difference.

Try to think of keeping your home warm in the same way as patching leaks in a boat. If there are holes or cracks, then the boat will leak. In this case, instead of the water leaking in, your home’s warmth will be leaking out. So, sealing the cracks in your home is a practical strategy on how to heat up your house cheaply, as it prevents cold drafts from entering and heat from escaping. Regardless of the weather in your state, sealing cracks is one of the cheapest ways to heat your home Australia-wide. You won't need to hire a tradie or handyman; this is one you can DIY. This is just one of the many tricks on how to heat up your home quickly and on a budget.

Sometimes there's a cold snap chilly enough that blankets and jumpers won't do. If you need energy to heat up, use an energy-efficient heater. They do the job without breaking the bank or leaving too big of an environmental footprint. Energy-efficient heaters are designed to heat a room without consuming too much energy. Some options include convection heaters, radiators, and electric fireplaces. Look for products with a high energy star rating. The more stars, the better it is. It's a surefire way to heat up your home cheaply and effectively. Also, make sure to get one that is just big enough for your space but not too big. A heater that is too large will use too much energy, whereas a small one will have to be set to maximum to get a result.

If you live somewhere cold, you know there's nothing better than slipping under the covers when your electric blanket is in full swing. Electric blankets are designed to provide gentle, consistent warmth, ensuring a comfortable and cozy environment. They come with adjustable heat settings, allowing you to customise the temperature to your personal preferences and the weather conditions outside. For safety reasons, it's best to look for electric blankets with features such as automatic shut-off and a timer function.

Oil heaters can get a bad rap for being a little slow, so if you want to heat up your home quickly, look elsewhere. However, utilising an oil heater can be the cheapest way to warm your house while still being energy efficient, as it requires minimal energy to maintain the heated oil. Oil-filled radiators use a small amount of electric power to heat the oil within the heater. Once the oil is hot, it requires minimal energy to stay heated. Meanwhile, the unique design of the radiator allows large amounts of warmth to emit from the heater. Some heaters even have eco modes to reduce the energy required to heat the home.

Turning on a fan sounds like the last thing you'd want to do in the cooler months. However, fans can be an effective tool for improving the heat circulation in your home. Almost all modern fans have the ability to rotate anti-clockwise and clockwise. During the summer, fans will rotate to push air downwards, cooling the people below. In the winter, fans create a slow updraft that pushes hot air trapped higher up, further down into the room. While a fan might not increase your home's temperature, it can improve the efficiency of your heater. Reversing the ceiling fan direction is a clever strategy on how to heat up a house quickly, as it helps circulate warm air trapped near the ceiling, making the room feel warmer without additional energy consumption. To reverse the direction of your ceiling fan, look for a small switch. Switch it to 'W' or winter mode. This simple yet effective trick can significantly affect your comfort and energy consumption during the winter months.

While ovens are meant to heat up what's inside them, they are also excellent radiators. When used for periods of time, such as when baking, an oven will emit a surprising amount of heat into the home, making it a clever strategy to heat up a room cheaply and deliciously. So if you're looking for a cheap way to bring some much-needed heat into your home, consider having more baked dinners or meals. Or treat yourself and put on your apron and baking hat, and make some brownies, cookies or a cake.

Be sure to follow other steps, like reversing the fan direction, and shutting your curtains, to maximise the heat captured in your home too. It's the cheapest way to warm your house because, in reality, you need to cook anyway!