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The ancient Greeks didn’t have Google. When they wanted to explain the coming and going of the four seasons, they did so through story-telling. Myths, monsters, and magic were born. When it comes to winter, the Greeks decided the best and most straightforward explanation behind the chilly weather was that Persephone – goddess of trees and bushes and plants – had descended far underground once more for six months to visit her husband, Hades, ruler of the underworld. Only upon her return to see her family for six months each year do the branches begin to bloom again. And so, the yearly weather cycle was established. Makes sense.
Well, she’s definitely hitched a ride out of here in the express lane this year, because winter has hit fast and hard. If you’re anything like the 100% of us that are underprepared for the deep freeze, worry not. Help is at hand with our household winter heating tips.
Switch from heating with gas/electric to heating with oil
The Super Saver Oil website is full of ideas. Heating your home with oil is cheaper, safer, and more efficient on the consumption of resources. Put simply, heating your home with oil produces more heat in comparison to a gas system over the same period of time with less wastage – a significantly higher percentage of the heat goes into your home, instead of being lost in the system as is typical of gas heating. Oil is also much safer. Unlike combustible gases, oil does not ignite unless first turned into a fine mist. This means a huge reduction in accidents.
Eat more soups and stews
Yes. We know what you’re thinking. This tip comes at you a little out of left field and looks to have no place in a blog about household winter heating tips. However, what you cook isn’t actually the issue here. You could easily add curries and Chilli Con Carne dishes to the menu if soups and stews aren’t your thing.
The important message is to cook your evening meal (usually the meal that requires the most energy) in a slow cooker. Why? Well, if you didn’t know, and despite the fact that the slow cooker must be left on for a large portion of the day, the machine uses about the same electricity as a light bulb. Compare that to the gas and electric bill of endless whirring microwaves and ovens blasting for 40+ each night minutes and you will soon see the benefits (and savings!) of changing your diet to reduce your energy bill.
Replace your old insulation for instant results
Insulation comes in many forms. There’s solid wall insulation, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, suspended floor insulation… and the list goes on. Not all of us are professional home renovators with the knowledge required to replace all types of insulation with the current best materials on the market to make our insulation work for us.
That being said, there are things we can do to make sure the insulation we can easily deal with is functioning at its best. For example, loft and roof insulation have a tendency to become damp and lose much of its effectiveness where there is no ventilation. Replace the old damp insulation with new dry insulation, remembering to ensure that eaves are not covered (to allow airflow) and to cover the loft hatch. This simple trick will work wonders for retaining heat in your home.
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