Anyone who tries to be eco-conscious year-round will know that it’s much easier to do this during the summer, rather than in the winter months. In the winter, it’s natural to want to use more resources for keeping warm and toasty after a long day at work or whilst you sleep when it’s freezing outside. However, there are still many great eco-friendly ways of staying warm this winter that will help you to reduce your carbon footprint and your utility bills. These include:
#1. Upgrade Your Heating System
The newer your home’s heating system, the better when it comes to being environmentally friendly. Upgrading your heating system may seem like a hefty cost initially, but it’s certainly worth it when you work out how much you could be saving over the long term after having it installed. Along with that, it’s also worth considering an upgrade for the appliances that you use daily in your home, such as the washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, and refrigerator since having machines with lower appliance energy ratings will reduce the overall amount of energy that you use. Appliance energy ratings are important, so take a look at this link to learn more about understanding appliance energy ratings.
#2. Have a Smart Home
Being environmentally friendly during the winter months isn’t all about freezing under a pile of blankets. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with using the utilities available to you when you need them, as long as you’re smart about it. Smart thermostats, which can usually be controlled using an app on your smartphone, have become more and more popular with homeowners recently thanks to their ease of use and ability to save a lot of money whilst still keeping the house warm. Use a smart thermostat to control the temperature in your home when you’re not there, allowing you to only use the heating system when you need it.
#3. Close the Curtains
During the winter months, it’s often the simple touches that can make your home a cozier and warmer place to be. For example, hanging thick, black-out curtains at your windows during the colder months is a great idea, as insulated curtains help to keep drafts trapped behind the window and stop any heat from escaping through them. If you have wooden flooring at home, then don’t forget about the drafts coming up from behind that, too – using thick rugs and wearing slippers at home is a good way to stay warm with wooden floors.
#4. Heat Up by Room
When heating your home, first think about the rooms that you’re going to be using. For example, if all the family is going to be gathered in the living room for the next few hours, then there’s no need to heat the whole house. If there are any rooms that you aren’t using right now, switching off their heating and closing them off will help you save on bills and heat the rest of your home up quickly.
Did you find this information useful? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
You must log in to post a comment.