(Akiit.com) If you’re looking to save money this January on your heating bills, there’s still time, as with these nifty little tips you can not only save some cash, but also save the planet by reducing your energy consumption.
These are the sort of tips that are common sense, yet not always common practice – meaning most people should be able to benefit and take action on this advice, as there’s no special equipment required and you won’t require an independent power system installation, just a few common sense techniques to help save you money and the planet.
- TURN DOWN THE THERMOSTAT
Many people heat their homes to an unnecessary temperature – there’s often simply no need to max out the heating, yet when we feel cold it’s all too tempting to turn that thermostat up a few 
degrees, and in doing so, it can become an expensive slippery slope.
Have you ever walked into an old people’s home, to find yourself overwhelmed by the heat that hits you? The problem is, they have become acclimated to that heat and therefore require it to feel comfortable – it becomes their ‘norm’.
The same will be true within your home, therefore, you’ll want to consider turning the thermostat down a little and perhaps putting on an extra layer. You can save quite a lot of money, just by following this one tip.
Again, we often heat our homes to the point that we feel comfortable in our underwear – yet, if it’s freezing outside, do you really need it to be so warm that it feels like a summer evening. Keep your jumper on, and you can save a small fortune.
- LIMIT THE NUMBER OF ROOMS YOU HEAT
In a similar vein to reducing the amount of heat you require your home to produce, if you live mostly in just a couple of rooms, then it’s understandable that you will want them to feel nice and cosy, yet if you are heating rooms that nobody uses such as guest bedrooms, it is a good idea to turn off the heating in those rooms, close the door, and even consider putting a draft excluder by the frame.
- GET CLOSER
The idea of close contact heat, such as hot water bottles and electric blankets can save a lot of money, as they are not having to heat an entire space – just your body, or the bed, and as such they don’t need much energy.
The downside of a hot water bottle is that it loses heat throughout the night, however there are few things that smell and feel cosier than a hot water bottle in bed with you on a cold winter’s night. Electric blankets, however, have advanced significantly and can now be tailored to not only different zones of the bed (such as feet) or different sections (i.e. his and her side) – but they can now monitor your body temperature and intelligently adjust to ensure you are kept at the perfect temperature for sleep.
Staff Writer; Roy Parker