13 Ways to Create a Cozy, Energy-Efficient Home Next Winter
As the winter chill sets in, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere at home becomes a top priority. However, achieving coziness shouldn’t come at the expense of energy efficiency and a considerable dent in your pocket. You can enjoy a snug, energy-efficient home that keeps you comfortable throughout winter with a few simple adjustments. Here are 13 tips to help you achieve just that:
Seal Air Leaks

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The sneakiest reason your home gets cold in winter is the gaps and cracks around windows, doors, vents, or electrical outlets. These gaps and cracks allow warm air to escape and cold air to enter the house, resulting in high heating bills. Therefore, thoroughly inspect your home and give special attention to areas where different building materials meet. After you’ve found the leaks, use weather stripping or caulking to seal up and fill those gaps and cracks.
Upgrade Insulation

The start of winter is the proper time to check whether the insulation around your house needs an upgrade. Proper insulation ensures that helpful heat doesn’t escape through the roof, walls, or floors. This habit ensures you don’t get uncomfortable with the cold and the high bills. So, start with the attic, as heat is most likely to dissipate from there. However, pay attention to other home areas such as the crawl space, basement, and garage.
Use Thermal Curtains

A good investment goes a long way. Similarly, installing thermal curtains to keep the heat inside the home while blocking out cold drafts is a fantastic option. Additionally, thermal curtains can also keep the home cooler during summer. This makes the curtains a stylish and practical way to create a cozy, energy-efficient home all year round.
Install a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat adapts the heating system to your daily routine. It warms the home when you’re awake and active and lowers the temperature when you’re asleep or away from home. Of course, you’ll have to program the thermostat for this. Use a programmable thermostat to enjoy the convenience of preset heating schedules and reduced energy bills!
Optimize Heating System Efficiency

Before you take other measures to ensure a comfortable home during winter, thoroughly maintain your heating system. Employ professionals to help clean or replace filters, lubricate moving parts, or consider upgrading to a more energy-efficient heating system. Heating systems can rack up bills if not appropriately maintained or impede operations. So, give due attention to them as well.
Utilize Zone Heating

Zone heating focuses on heating the areas where you spend the most time instead of heating the entire home. You can use portable space heaters to focus on the single room you want heated. You can also focus on warm, cozy bedding using electric blankets and heated mattress pads. All of these let you personalize temperature settings while also controlling your bills.
Harness Solar Energy

Harnessing solar energy to drive the cold away from your homes is a cost-effective method of lowering your utility bills. The south-facing windows of your home receive the most sunlight throughout the day, so make sure that no curtains, blinds, or shades obstruct the sunlight. Moreover, you can employ solar thermal collectors or air heaters that convert solar energy into proper heat.
Use Energy-Efficient Lighting

Winter has fewer daylight hours, so we must rely on electronic devices for light. Traditional incandescent bulbs consume significant energy while producing the same light as LED bulbs. Furthermore, LED bulbs have a longer lifespan than traditional bulbs. While lighting doesn’t contribute much to the room’s temperature, LED bulbs can save you from high energy bills.
Invest in Energy-Efficient Appliances

Your old electrical appliances — such as refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters, and dishwashers — are causing higher utility bills as they consume more energy. That is why you should invest in energy-efficient appliances that protect you from these worries while giving you maximum output. When shopping for appliances, consider the ones with a high ENERGY STAR rating. They have the most energy-efficient technologies, benefitting you and the environment.
Insulate Hot Water Pipes

The cold of winter requires hot water for almost everything. But, if the pipes carrying the hot water are not insulated properly, the water temperature will drop along the way. Thus, we’ll have to use more energy to heat the water again to the desired temperature, causing high energy bills. Therefore, give special attention to the hot water pipes running through the attics, basements, or crawl spaces, as they are more susceptible to heat loss. It’s quite natural for them to need minor repairs occasionally.
Use Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are another efficient way of distributing warm air evenly throughout the room. During winter, warm air rises and collects near the ceiling, but cold air remains at ground level. However, if you run the ceiling fans in reverse (clockwise direction) at a low speed, the warm air near the ceiling gets gently pushed down to the living space.
Cook and Bake Strategically

Winters are perfect for cooking delicious meals and enjoying them cozied up at home with your loved ones. But you can also utilize cooking and baking to ward off the cold by keeping the oven door open after you’re done. This will allow the residual heat to escape into your home’s kitchen and other parts. Additionally, cookers, toaster ovens, electric grills, and other small kitchen appliances can provide warmth while preparing meals.
Embrace Cozy Decor

Embellish your living space with cozy blankets, plush rugs, and knitted pillows. These will provide warmth and will make your home visually appealing. Use soft, warm lighting to create a sense of intimacy and relaxation in your homes. Moreover, deep red, burnt orange, and warm brown colors are incorporated to create an inviting atmosphere that complements the natural colors of winter. They bring a feeling of warmth to their environment.
Conclusion

Winters offer the evenings to snuggle and cozy up with your loved ones. But the discomfort of feeling cold and the worry of the high cost of bills drains away all the fun. That is why implement these 13 tips to achieve a cozy, energy-efficient home and experience winters like never before!