Frugal home heat hacks opens the door to additional ways to heat in the winter. Saving on energy bills is important as other costs rise. If your frugal home seems to be under attack from rising costs, no worries, there is hope. My hope is to share ways with you that will help you keep costs down, comfort level acceptable and not burst your budget!
Take the first step and decide what your heat temperature tolerability is, and what the thermostat will stay on. I do a daytime temp, and a night time temp. In addition to that don’t forget that you can layer up as needed. There are other ways to stay warm in the winter besides dressing like the Michelin man, and let me share those now:
Dress for Cold Weather
Wear layers to keep warm. Add in a hat for style. Keep a warm beverage close by to sip on through out the day. You may think it unnecessary to wear a hat and scarf in the house, but they can be quite stylish. Remember a very long time ago women wore bonnets all of the time. That is because most of the heat you have rises out of your head. If you keep your head covered, it is a fact you will be warmer.
Try making the hat and scarf stylish so that they will match several outfits. I have several dressy scarves that I use, and one or two interchangeable hats to wear with them. The main part of my body that gets cold and stays cold is my hands. My solution is to wash them in hot water more often. It warms them up, until I cook dinner. As everyone knows the oven creates heat so cook more meals at home this winter! My rule of thumb is oven in the cold, grill outside in the heat. Sometimes we do grill outside in the winter months, but not a lot.
Decorate for Warmth in a Frugal Home
Blankets everywhere will not only bring out colors and styles, but they will scream warmth. For a final blanket touch, add a heat blanket in the master bedroom. Flannel sheets and pillowcases are picturesque of winter. I also have a heated lap blanket and a Snuggie for the really cold winter months that I throw on. Another good idea is a robe. Check out a variety of robes that have really warm, heat holding textures. Robes make great Christmas gifts!
Soft throw rugs on the floor throughout is another idea for a warm home hack. Insulated curtains in rooms to hold heat in and keep cold out are another way to create a cozy feel.
Installation Floor Heating Mats
Floor heating mats are designed to go under tile, laminate, rugs and stone. Best if installed when a flooring is coming up for remodel to save on labor costs. The rise in electric bill works out in the long run. Heat from the floors rises to heat the entire room, thus saving on HVAC use.
Maintenance free after installation, and compatible with SMART thermostats.
Reduce Vent Use and Get an Energy Audit
We had an energy audit done on our home several year’s ago. The technician came out and gave us hints and tips for free on how to save electricity. Some we used, and some we did not. Getting the audit was something I would definitely recommend.
One of the ways the man suggested to save on energy was to reduce our vent fan use in the kitchen and bathroom. He informed us they actually work to a disadvantage by removing the warm air in winter. His suggestion was to use the heat already being generated by the stove when I am cooking, and in the bathroom tap into the warm air created from the hot water. By simply opening the door, it works as a fan and does basically the same effect as the vent. We still use the vent in our bathroom after the door is open, but not for long. The vent in the kitchen was removed when we remodeled.
Our energy company helped us to save money. In addition to the advice, the energy company sends us monthly updates on how we are doing compared to others’ in our neighborhood. We do live in an older neighborhood, so with four kids’ our bill is higher.
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