With winter’s chill in the air and the cost of living on the rise, many Canadians are looking for ways to save money on heating. While for some that means turning the thermostat as low as they can stand, cutting back on energy use doesn’t have to mean layering up with sweaters and wool socks indoors. Whether you heat with a natural gas-powered furnace, an oil-fired boiler, electric radiators, a heat pump, a
Use a smart thermostat
Of all of the things you can buy to conserve energy in the winter, a smart thermostat might offer the best bang for your buck. Thanks to their smartphone-connected interfaces these devices are much easier to program than the previous generation of LCD thermostats, and many offer features like motion sensors and geo-fencing that add to their energy-saving capabilities. Whether or not you take advantage of these and other smart features, the best way to save energy with a smart thermostat is by programming the temp to something comfortable (20°C is good for most people) for when you are awake and at home, and a few degrees lower for while you’re sleeping or at work.
Insulate your attic
Beefing up the insulation in your walls and installing new windows are great ways to improve your home’s R-value (the measure of how well it resists heat loss) but these can be costly upgrades. If you’re not ready to take that step, insulating your home’s attic or crawlspace can be a relatively low-cost fix that can make a big difference in how much you spend on heating. Because hot air rises, an uninsulated attic (sadly, those dusty boxes of Christmas ornaments don’t offer much insulation value) allows the heat from your home’s living areas to easily escape through the roof. Adding a layer of insulation like spray foam, blanket “batts” or blown-in fill can go a long way to keeping the heat where you need it and reducing your energy bill.
Eliminate drafts
Drafts can be a major source of heat loss and energy waste during the winter, and keeping them out is just as important as keeping the heat in. The best way to fight drafts is by sealing your home in a few key places, including doors, windows, and fireplaces. Easy ways to do this include replacing the caulking around window frames, installing or replacing weatherstripping around your doors, and adding a door sweep for additional protection. Electrical outlets and light switches on exterior walls can also be sources of drafts, but these can be reduced by adding a layer of pre-cut foam insulation (available in any hardware store) behind the outlet or switch plate cover. If you want to go a little further, replacing old glass patio doors with triple-glazed ones, and adding a sealed fireplace insert could also translate to savings in the long run.
Reverse your ceiling fans
Everyone understands how ceiling fans work to keep us cool in the summer, but many people don’t know that they can also work to keep us warmer (and save energy) during the chilly months. Hot air rises and cold air sinks, so by reversing the direction of your fan you’ll draw cold air up from the floor towards the ceiling where it will displace the hot air trapped there and push it back down, thus helping to keep you warmer.
Draw the curtains
Windows are one of the main culprits for heat loss, but you don’t have to upgrade to the latest triple-panes to make them more energy efficient. If you have curtains, one easy way to keep the heat in is to pull them shut whenever possible and let the fabric act as another layer of insulation. Even simply closing your curtains while you’re at work or during the evenings could translate to a lower energy bill. One exception to note, however, is windows that get a lot of sun. If the weather is sunny, leave the curtains on your west-or south-facing windows open during the day to let the sun’s rays passively heat your home.
Jeremy Freed is a freelance writer and editor based in Toronto. His writing about fashion, travel, food and design appears in Sharp, Harry and re:Porter magazines, among many others.