11 simple ways to keep every room warm without a scary bill
To lower your heating bill this winter, heat less space, lose less heat and use less energy when nobody is home. The 11 ideas below range from free habit changes to small purchases that pay for themselves over the season.
- Heat the room you use, not the whole house
- Turn the thermostat back while you sleep or are away
- Seal drafts and close the curtains at dusk
1Heat the room you are in with a portable space heater
Zone heating means keeping the thermostat lower for the whole house and warming only the room you use most, such as a bedroom, home office or living room. A compact portable space heater is a simple way to do it. Whether it lowers your bill depends on your home and energy rates, but heating one small room instead of the whole house is often cheaper.
Portable Space Heater
Compact warmth for bedrooms, home offices and dorms. Marked down for the cold season.
Need more than one? The 2-piece space heater bundle is $59.90 (regular $130), which keeps each heater at $29.95.
2Lower the thermostat when you sleep or leave
The U.S. Department of Energy says turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day can save up to about 10 percent a year on heating. A programmable or smart thermostat does it for you.
3Seal drafts around windows and doors
Weatherstripping, door sweeps and caulk are cheap and stop heated air escaping. Check where you feel cold air on a windy day, and where daylight shows around door edges.
Layers and blankets let you lower the thermostat without feeling it.
4Close vents and doors in rooms you do not use
Closing the door to a spare room keeps heat where you need it. Do not close more than a few vents in a forced-air system, since that can strain your furnace.
5Let the sun in by day, close curtains at night
South-facing windows bring free heat on sunny days. Close heavy curtains at dusk to hold it in.
6Replace the furnace filter
A dirty filter restricts airflow and makes the system work harder. Check it monthly during the heating season.
7Put rugs on bare floors
Hardwood and tile feel cold underfoot and let heat escape through the floor. A rug makes a room feel warmer immediately.
8Reverse your ceiling fan
Set it to spin clockwise on low in winter so it pushes warm air down from the ceiling without a breeze.
9Wear warmer, not more heat
Layers, slippers and a wearable blanket let you drop the thermostat a degree or two without feeling it.
Oversized Wearable Sleep Blanket
Wear it on the couch, at your desk or in bed. Warmth you can move around in.
10Lower your water heater temperature
The Department of Energy suggests 120 degrees Fahrenheit for most homes. Many are set higher by default.
A warm drink and a warm room: small habits add up over a winter.
11Get the furnace serviced
A yearly tune-up helps your system run efficiently and catches problems before the coldest week of the year.
Heating bill questions, answered
What is the cheapest way to heat a home in winter?
Stopping heat loss comes first: seal drafts, close curtains and use rugs. Then heat only the rooms you use.
Is a space heater cheaper than central heating?
It can be when you heat one small room while keeping the rest of the house cooler. It is not cheaper if you run several heaters to warm the whole house.
What temperature should I set my thermostat to in winter?
The Department of Energy suggests about 68 degrees Fahrenheit while you are home and awake, and lower while you sleep or are away.
Are portable space heaters safe?
They are when used correctly: plug directly into a wall outlet, keep 3 feet of clearance and never leave one running unattended.
Stay warm for less this winter
Our portable space heater is marked down to $29.95.
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