10 Simple Ways to Reduce Heating Bills without Freezing

Winter is coming and it is not going to be good for the wallet. Heating prices have nearly doubled in the past year, and it's going to get worse. If you live in a 70m2 apartment, you should ideally account for an additional cost of 200-300 euros this season. But when the cold kicks in, most of us just set the thermostat in the middle to high range and then forget about it.

Until we get the utility bill next year and trust me, it will be much higher this time if we don't do anything about it. But then there are some small habits we can practice and little hacks that we could do to reduce this extra burden, save some money, and not freeze to death. So let's get started.

Lock the Leak

You may have learned about this in your physics class. If you don't remember, here is a simple recap. When air is heated, the molecules expand, creating more space between them. This makes the air lighter, and it rises up, and cold air takes its place. That's how hot air balloons work. But the same laws that lift hot air balloons also apply when it comes to heating your home. When the air inside the apartment heats up, it becomes lighter and moves upwards. And if your apartment is not properly insulated, then that space will be filled with cold air from outside. You can think of it like a cashmere sweater with holes in it.

It doesn't matter what type of wool it is, we will feel the cold. So it would be a good idea to walk around your home and check for such air leaks before you turn on your heater.

The main places to look for are walls, windows, ceilings, doors, and power outlets. To spot a leak, light a candle and hold the flame near the opening. If the flame flickers, that could mean the air is coming in. Once you find a leak, you can fix it with caulk or a weatherstrip.

They are not expensive and can easily be found in different thicknesses and profiles at the nearest hardware store. This simple solution can save around 50 -100 euros yearly in heating costs. If you are the owner and can afford to spend a bit more, then it would be a good idea to check and reinsulate the walls, attic, and basement.

Cover the Windows

But even if you manage to seal all the leaks, you will still lose about 30% of the heat through glass windows. So adding an extra layer of insulation will help to keep the heat inside. You can do that by applying a thin plastic film or bubble wrap to cover the inside of your windows. Although it may not look pretty and will slightly affect the visibility, the extra layer will create an air pocket between your window and the outside cold air. You can also add to this by installing heavy curtains in front of the windows or by simply closing the shutters.

This can cut down the heat loss by around 20%. If you want to go all in, in the fight against cold, use a tape to attach the end of your curtain to the wall and where the drapes come together. But there is a problem if you keep them closed all the time. You won't be able to take advantage of the most effective natural heater, the sun.

That's why it is essential to keep curtains and blinds open during the day, especially on the south-facing windows, because they bring in the warmest afternoon sun.

Just don't forget to close the curtains at night to trap in the heat.

Shock Ventilation

But then, even if you perfectly insulate the windows, you may still have to open them occasionally to ventilate the apartment and keep away humidity and mold. And this, when not done correctly, can result in an additional 100 euros in heating costs. Never ever keep and leave the windows tilted as we normally do in summer. There is an efficient and better way called shock ventilation, where you open the windows wide for shorter periods, several times a day.

Control The Fans

It's not just the windows that take the heat out of your apartment; the ventilator fans in the kitchen and bathroom are also equally responsible. Although they are good at removing undesirable smells and moisture, they also remove a lot of hot air from the inside. I'm not saying you should stop using them, just don't leave them running for extended periods. But if we have to turn off the ventilator fans to save costs, we can switch on the ceiling fans to save some more.

We learned earlier that air becomes lighter and rises when it's hot. If you have a ceiling fan in your room, you can use that to push the warm air back down. There is a catch, though. You've got to get that fan to spin clockwise instead of counterclockwise. This can be changed by toggling a little switch on the base of the fan.

Set the Optimum Temperature

Most of us have gotten used to warmer homes over the years, warmer than what is actually required. Federal Environment Agency recommends the ideal temperatures to be kept in each room.

As a rule of thumb, the feel good temperature for the living room is usually about 20degrees and for all other rooms its in the range 16-20degreees.

Radiators usually have a thermostat with a five-point scale. "3" is equivalent to about 20°C, and every additional step is about 3°C. Our bodies can gradually adjust to the ambient temperature, so try challenging your comfort habits. By setting the thermostat one degree lower, we will save 6 percent of the heating energy. This doesn't mean we should lower the temperature so much that we are miserable in our home. It's all about finding a balance between saving and staying warm. And also, setting it too low actually does more harm than good.

The apartment will cool down too much, and it takes longer and more energy to get a comfortable temperature back into the room. But if we are leaving home to work or while sleeping, then it would be a good idea to turn down the temperature. In case you are lazy or can't bother to do that manually, invest in a programmable thermostat. This will make life a lot easier by automatically adjusting the heat on a predetermined schedule.

They're not super pricey and will last for decades, saving money every day. Another way to get more with less is by improving the efficiency of radiators. If there are any obstacles or furniture in front of the radiator, then remove them. You can also attach an aluminium foil to the wall behind the radiator to reflect the heat in the room. Also, before switching on the radiator, check and remove excess air inside the radiator pipes.

Prepare yourself

Our apartment doesn't have a problem with being cold. Only we have. So the warmer we feel inside the house, the less work the heating unit will have to do. By adding some more long-sleeve shirts, sweaters, and warm socks to our daily dress, we will actually be able to feel a lot warmer without having to turn the heat up high. The places where we lose most of the heat is our head and feet. So cover that up with proper clothing to keep the body warm. And if you can buy an electric heat blanket that you can put on your mattress, you will be nice and warm throughout the night at a fraction of the cost of heating the house or room.

Don't make it so comfy that you won't ever want to leave your home.

Once you have done prepping up yourself and your home, the last thing you can do is compare the various gas suppliers and try to get a better contract. Also, you can just call your provider and negotiate a better rate.

Fire the Fire Place

There is a common misconception that using a wooden fireplace can save on heating costs. But in reality, it can end up costing you more, depending on the type of fireplace. Wooden fireplaces are very inefficient, and about 80% of the heat escapes the chimney.

And if you keep the flue open, you allow a large quality of precious warm air from all corners of your home to go out.

Sure it feels warm by the fire, but if we have learned anything about thermodynamics today, every air that goes up the chimney is replaced by cold air pulled into the house elsewhere. We have a wood-burning stove in our apartment which is more efficient than an open fireplace. I will try it out this winter and write a blog on how much it reduces the heating costs.

Of course, we can invest in a new heating system or consider other expensive solutions. Still, the subtle habit changes that we make in our day-to-day lives will have the most impact. To make the content precise here, I had to skip some information. But, I have summarised everything and created a checklist that you can download from my website for free. I hope you find this blog useful and that helps to save some of your hard-earned money this winter. And if you want to grow that money and protect it from inflation, you can watch this video to learn how to invest.