Simple Ways to Lower Your Monthly Heating Bills

I am an apartment dweller, in a 1100 square foot apartment and I know our heating bills can be outrages during the cold winter months. I can only imagine what the bills must be like in a larger home. As always I am always looking for ways to cut down on our expenses in as many ways as I can and this is no exception. So here is what I have come up with to help keep the thermostat low and in turn keeping the heating bills down.

Place Plastic Over the Windows

I’m sure we have all seen the plastic that can be put over the windows and then sealed with a blow dryer. My mother used to use it for all of our windows when I was growing up and I always thought she was crazy. Come to find out many years later in my own home this plastic really does help. Now only does it seal your window from any incoming drafts it also keeps your warm air from escaping. Although the first window may seem like a task once you get it up there it’s rather easy to do them all.

Rolled Up Bath Towels

Rolled up bath towels can be a great, inexpensive way to block drafts from sneaking though the windows during those cold winter days. Just take a regular bath size towel (for smaller windows a dish towel will work) lay it flat and roll it from the longest part down so you end up with a long roll. Lay this rolled up towel in your windowsill and this will block drafts from coming in that will put a chill in the air.

Door Cozies

Door cozies resemble a rolled up towel but come in many different styles. I have a turkey with what looks like long legs that you spread out and it spans the length of my door. I also have a different door cozy for Christmas and then one to use in January until the winter is over. Door cozies sit in front of the door at the base to block any draft from coming in and any heat from going out. It helps to keep the grounds warmer, and since there will no longer be a draft, feet stay warmer too.

Layering Clothes

Instead of turning up the heat in my house we add on an extra layer of clothing. For instance you can put on another sweater, another pair of socks or even some slippers. By adding clothes you are using your own natural body heat and that comes to you free of charge. If you turned up the heat, you would be paying for something you can already get for free from your own body.

Sleeping Bags

Sleeping bags may not look the greatest, but can help keep you warm. Every winter we drag out the old trusty sleeping bags for everyone’s bed. You can unzip the side and open it up to cover a whole bed. Sleeping bags are made to keep the heat in and they do a great job of it. They are also easily tucked into a closet if you don’t like the way they look on your bed during the day.

I’m sure there are many different ideas you can come up with to help keep the thermostat low and the heating bills down. These are just my favorite five that seem to work well for my home and for my family.