13 Money-Saving, Keeping-Cosy Tips

Knowing what it actually costs to run your home appliances – especially your heater – can help motivate you to find alternate ways of keeping warm this Winter.

Portable heaters may be cheap to buy, but can cost a lot more in running costs over the life of the appliance than a more efficient method of keeping warm or heating your home.

To see the average running costs of heating appliances, go here.

So, if you’re erring on the side of wanting to save money – and natural resources – here’s some thoughts on how to keep cosy this Winter:

1. Cut a rug: Cover up your bare floors with a rug. Floors account for as much as 10 per cent of heat loss if they’re not insulated.
2. Bake something: Stews, roasts, casseroles and soups are made for the cold weather because they cook at low temperatures for a long period of time and, of course, they warm you up going down.
3. Drink something: Wrap your hands around a warm mug of tea, cocoa or coffee.
4. Let it in: Open curtains and blinds during the day to let the sun in.
5. Shut it out: Draw your curtains as soon as it gets dark to stop the draughts coming in and the heat escaping.
6. Shut it up: Keep doors to cold rooms (like kitchens, bathrooms and laundries) closed. This can prevent up to 75% of total heat loss from a home.
7. Change your bedding: Switch to flannel sheets, a heavier quilt, or use extra blankets.
8. Clean up: Go hard on bit of a clean, not only will your house be cleaner but the activity will get your blood pumping.
9. Layer up: Although you might think that big winter jumpers are the way to go, wearing layers of thin clothes will keep you warmer as they trap body heat.
10. Block it: Block drafts with weather stripping, a rolled up towel or a draft stopper.
11. It takes two: Snuggle up with your friends, a pet, or your significant other.
12. Something old fashioned: Try a hot water bottle or bags of rice or dried beans warmed in the microwave.
13. Spend up: Just a little. Seriously, go and spend $50 on a throw rug you love. Not only will it keep you toasty but it will look great in your lounge room and you’ll get that warm feeling just from looking at it.

By reducing our reliance on heaters and taking a few simple steps to keep cosy this Winter, we can all save money (and put it towards our next holiday?) as well as reduce the burden on our planet’s finite natural resources that fuel our heating devices. And that’s got to be a good thing