How to Keep Your House Warmer Without Turning Up the Heat

When cold weather settles into the mountains, the heating bill can climb in a hurry.

For seniors and families living on a tight budget, simply turning up the thermostat may not be an option. The good news is that sometimes the problem isn’t that your furnace isn’t producing enough heat.

The problem is that the heat you already paid for is getting away.

Before you turn up the thermostat, take a walk through your house. A few simple changes may help you hold onto more of that warmth—and many of them don’t cost anything at all.

1. LET THE SUNSHINE IN

Winter sunshine is free heat.

On sunny days, open curtains and blinds on windows where the sun shines into the house. Even on a cold day, sunlight coming through a window can help warm a room.

Once the sun moves away or evening comes, close those curtains again to help keep the warmth inside.

If you have heavy curtains, they can provide an extra layer between a cold window and the room.

Mountain Know-How Tip: Don’t leave curtains closed all winter trying to keep out the cold. When the sun is shining through that window, let it work for you.

2. FIND THE DRAFTS

A small draft can make an entire room feel colder.

Check around:

• Exterior doors
• Windows
• Door thresholds
• Attic access doors
• Pipes coming through exterior walls
• Window air conditioners
• Electrical outlets on outside walls
• Fireplace dampers

On a cold or windy day, slowly move your hand around doors and windows. You may be surprised at how easily you can feel cold air coming through a small gap.

Once you know where the cold air is entering, you can decide what actually needs fixing instead of buying things you don’t need.

3. STOP COLD AIR UNDER THE DOOR

If cold air is coming underneath an exterior door, you don’t necessarily need an expensive solution.

A rolled-up towel placed along the bottom of the door can help temporarily.

An old towel, blanket, or scrap fabric can also be made into a simple draft stopper.

If the problem is permanent, inexpensive weatherstripping or a new door sweep may eventually be worth buying. But first find out whether that’s actually where you’re losing heat.

4. DON’T BLOCK THE HEAT YOU’RE PAYING FOR

Take a look at your heating vents or radiators.

Is a couch sitting over one?

Is a chair blocking it?

Is a long curtain hanging in front of it?

Sometimes rearranging a piece of furniture allows warm air to circulate through the room much better.

And if you use a furnace or heat pump, don’t forget the filter. A badly clogged filter can restrict airflow and make the system work harder.

5. USE YOUR CURTAINS WISELY

Windows can be one of the coldest surfaces in a house.

Close curtains at night, especially on particularly cold nights. If you have heavier curtains, use them.

But be sensible about it. Make sure curtains aren’t lying against a heater, blocking a heat register, or creating a fire hazard.

If you don’t have expensive insulated curtains, don’t assume you need to go buy them. Use what you already have first.

6. CLOSE OFF UNUSED SPACE CAREFULLY

If there is a room you rarely use, you may be able to reduce how much heat you’re sending into that area.

But don’t automatically shut off every unused room and let it become freezing cold.

Plumbing may run through walls, floors, or cabinets in those rooms, and very cold areas can contribute to frozen pipes. Closing too many vents can also cause problems for some heating systems.

The goal isn’t to make part of the house freezing.

It’s simply to avoid wasting heat where it isn’t needed.

7. KEEP INTERIOR DOORS OPEN WHERE YOU WANT HEAT TO CIRCULATE

This sounds like the opposite of the last tip, but both can be useful.

If your main living areas are heated from the same system, open interior doors can sometimes help warm air circulate more evenly.

If one room stays unusually cold, don’t immediately assume you need to turn up the thermostat for the entire house.

First ask why that particular room is cold.

Is the vent blocked?

Is there a draft?

Are the curtains blocking the heat?

Is the door always closed?

Fixing one small problem may be cheaper than heating the whole house several degrees warmer.

8. USE RUGS ON COLD FLOORS

A rug won’t actually heat the room, but it can make a cold floor much more comfortable underfoot.

That’s especially noticeable over tile, hardwood, or poorly insulated floors.

Use rugs you already own before buying anything new.

Important for seniors: Loose throw rugs can cause falls. If a rug slides, curls at the edges, or catches your feet or walker, the little bit of extra warmth isn’t worth the risk. Secure it properly or remove it.

9. CHECK THE FIREPLACE

A fireplace can make a room feel cozy while it’s burning, but an open damper can also allow heated indoor air to escape up the chimney.

If the fireplace is not being used, make sure the damper is properly closed—provided there is no fire or combustion appliance requiring it to remain open.

Never close a damper while a fire is burning or while embers are still producing smoke or gases.

10. USE THE HEAT YOU ALREADY CREATED

If you’ve been baking something in the oven, there’s no reason to rush to close off every bit of that leftover warmth.

After you’re completely finished cooking and the oven is turned off, simply allowing the residual heat to dissipate normally into the kitchen can add a little warmth.

But don’t use an oven as a heater.

Never leave a gas oven burning to warm the house. That can create a serious carbon monoxide hazard.

11. DRESS FOR WINTER—EVEN INDOORS

Sometimes the cheapest way to feel warmer isn’t changing the temperature of the house.

A sweater, warm socks, slippers, or an extra layer can make a comfortable room feel considerably warmer.

A lap blanket while sitting in your favorite chair can make a big difference too.

There’s no prize for wearing short sleeves indoors in January while the furnace runs nonstop.

12. PAY ATTENTION TO HUMIDITY

Very dry winter air can make a house feel less comfortable.

Some homes become extremely dry when the heat runs constantly. A reasonable indoor humidity level may improve comfort, but too much moisture can cause condensation, mold, and other problems.

If your windows are dripping with condensation, adding more humidity is probably not the answer.

The goal is comfortable air—not turning the house into a greenhouse.

13. DON’T SACRIFICE SAFETY TO SAVE A FEW DOLLARS

Saving money matters, but some shortcuts simply aren’t worth it.

Never heat your home with:

• A charcoal grill
• An outdoor propane heater not approved for indoor use
• A gas stove or oven
• A generator inside the house, garage, basement, or enclosed porch

Make sure you have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

If you use a portable space heater, keep it well away from bedding, curtains, furniture, paper, and anything else that can burn. Plug it directly into an appropriate wall outlet rather than an extension cord or power strip, and follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions.

START WITH THE FREE THINGS

Before spending money on insulated curtains, new windows, fancy thermostats, or other improvements, start with what costs nothing.

Walk through your house and look.

Where is the cold air coming in?

Where is the warm air being blocked?

Where is heat escaping?

Are you heating space you aren’t using?

Sometimes a rolled towel, an opened curtain on a sunny afternoon, moving a chair away from a heat register, or closing a fireplace damper can help more than you might expect.

That’s what Mountain Know-How is about.

Use what you have. Fix what you can. Spend money only where it makes a real difference.