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October 01, 2018 4 min read

Winter Home

The first thing that comes to a home owner’s mind when the topic of heating is brought up is the high cost of it. Yes, keeping a house warm during cold spells is a challenge, but spending a lot of money should not be a part of it. There are simple ways on how to cut cost without losing a single degree of warmth in your home. In the following paragraphs, we will present you with the 5 most common warmth saving, cost cutting techniques.

Adjusting the temperature

Staying warm does not imply sweating inside while it is snowing outside. On the first sign of subzero temperatures, many people crank up the heat way over the comfort limit. The temperature should be around 70 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and a few degrees lower during nighttime. People sleep better when in cool or moderately cooled rooms, so leaving the heating on during the night is not a good idea. Another idea that might help is installing a programmable or a smart thermostat. Not only will you be able to set it using just your phone, but it will stop excess energy from getting wasted while you are away or when the days aren’t especially chilly. Basically, don’t turn your house into a tropical paradise, since that is the most cost-ineffective way to combat the cold.

Adequate clothes & Throws

Wool & Linen Throws

 

We frequently disregard the fact that house walls aren’t the only insulators that protect us from the cold. We wear clothes for much the same purpose, so it too can be “regulated.” Dressing for the occasion is essential when it comes to staying warm. The fact that you have indoor heating does not mean that it should facilitate for you walking around the house half-naked in a T-shirt and wearing shorts. Sweaters and hoodies are appropriate garments to be worn inside the house as well.

 

If you have a relatively sedentary lifestyle while at home a few additional throws to cuddle up in while lounging on the sofa, or over your lap as you work in the home office are a definite plus. We have luxurious wool, cashmere, chenille, and linen throws with luxurious textures that are sure to keep you comfortable and warm. Throws are also great for those really cold snaps when you don’t want to crank up the heat, but you want to be warm through the evening. Throwing a few additional blankets on the bed are sure to do the trick.

Annual check-ups

Although heating gets turned on mostly during the winter months, this doesn’t mean that the whole system ceases to exist during summertime. It should be kept in good condition throughout the year. For houses with furnaces, this means a mandatory check-up before the heating season. For places where heating units are also air conditioning units, like in North and South Carolina, the check-ups should be even more regular, since they are used throughout the year. Based on the experience of the companies that do these regular heating and air repairs, this includes a checkup of operating temperatures, evaporator unit cleaning, and damaged parts replacement. Since there is bigger stress on the AC units, they will break down more often, but that is still nothing compared to the money you save by using them for heating.

Insulation & Rugs

Warm Loloi Rug

Older homes tend to have insufficient or no insulation at all. Insulating the walls of an entire house is a big investment, but it’s a one-off expenditure. You can pay on credit if you can’t foot the bill right away, but don’t let your home go through even one winter without protection against the cold. Roughly, a quarter of energy in an un-insulated house gets lost through the roof, so make sure it has insulation too. Older homes also suffer from single pain glass windows. Make sure that you replace old windows with double pained class energy star windows. Still even Energy Star widows can let heat escape adding thick curtains that can be drawn will add a decorative form of insulation to any room.

Rug & Home’s most recommended form of insulation is a large wool rug. Unlike polyurethane rugs a hand knotted or hand tufted wool rug will actually act as additional insulation for your floor. Also if you utilize a fireplace for heating wool is naturally flame retardant and will simply smolder instead of melting or catching on fire when embers fall on it, so wool rugs are Rug & Home’s recommendation for hearth rugs. An added benefit of any rug is to protect your bare feet from the harsh cold tiles or hardwood floor. Adding a plush rug right next to your bed as you get up in the morning will help you get out of your warm cozy bed in the morning since the shock in temperatures will not be as severe. As the years go by, you will enjoy the benefits as heating costs will decrease significantly. You will never again have to raise the temperature on the thermostat, because if it reads 70 °F then it is really going to be that warm inside.

Air circulation

Proper air circulation in front of a fireplace wool Loloi rug

Whether you use a wall-mounted AC or a simple fireplace, warm air has to have an inlet somewhere in the house. In order for it to heat every corner or every room evenly, the air has to circulate unobstructed. This means removing everything in its path, especially right in front of the heating unit. Sitting in front of a radiator is fun and it warms you up, but that means that the whole space won’t get enough energy. Move the sofa and armchairs away from the source of heat so they could operate normally.

Warm Throw Rugs

In a nutshell, cold is best fought against by balance. Simple maintenance is crucial and it involves calling the AC guy for a quick check-up; not waiting for air conditioning to stop working to do so. Off-season activity is just as important, such as clothes, throws, rugs, and even furniture setup. These are all small gestures that can close a huge gap in your yearly heating budget.

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