Most of us enjoy being warm. Just as most of us loathe spine-tingling chill drafts breezing through our home like an annoying badger rifling through the garbage. aking just a few steps to keep your home warmer, aside from your caffeinated brews or cranking up the heat, dramatically slices your energy bills. Today we’re going beyond the usual—but severely helpful—tips of doubling up on clothing layers and wearing thicker socks. Here are several strategies you can use to make your home naturally warmer.

1. Use your curtains

Even during freezing days, the sun produces heat whenever it is out. This is one of the free sources of heat you can utilize – all you have to do is open your curtains during the day. Then close your curtains or blinds when the sun sets. Doing so also gives your home another layer of warmth, as curtains typically act as another layer of insulation. (This is doubly so if you purchase heavy blinds.)

2. Pipe Insulation

If pipes are outside, they’re prone to freeze. They then have the possibility of bursting or cracking a leak, which can spell disaster for your home – not to mention the repair bills you’ll have to pay for. Wrap industry-rated insulation around your hot water pipes to prevent this, as well as save energy. This is an easy DIY task that you can do yourself. The same principle applies in the unfortunate event that your furnace has run out of fuel and your residence grows cold.

3. Outlets

Electricity rates vary between states; Houston electricity providers may give you better rates than Iowa’s energy suppliers. To make the most of this change in price, get electrical outlet sealers. Not sure if you need one? Hold the back of your hand up to an outlet. If you feel cold air or a slight breeze, you know where your home has a problem. To fix this, buy a simple socket sealer found in most home hardware stores.

4. Central Heating

Program your boiler to turn on its heating feature at a lower temperature around half an hour before you plan to wake up. According to the Centre for Sustainable Energy, boilers heat up at a constant speed regardless of what the thermostat says.

5. Window Treatment

Double-paned windows reduce heat loss – period. Although you can expect to pay between $600-850, which is steep upfront. The savings you will earn on your bill more than make up for it. That’s if the manufactured seals and spaced glass is high quality. Double-paned windows even reduce outside noise from coming into your home.

6. Furniture Placement  

Where your furniture is placed matters. Having them on top of heating vents or in front of radiators feels nice but is disastrous. These objects absorb heat. Which makes it harder for your heating source to heat up the rest of the room.

7. Doors and Windows

Inspect the caulk and weather stripping of your doors and windows to prevent air leaks. Your home may be losing heat quicker than you can shake a stick at. Another thing you can do to keep even more warm air inside is to install storm doors and storm windows on top of your screen doors and windows.

Conclusion

Another strategy you can use is to bake bread more often – the heat from the oven will warm your home naturally, while you get the bonus of a home-cooked meal. Follow these tips to ensure your home is optimally heated. Doing so will keep your energy and electricity and heating bills down.