Staying Warm at Home Without Breaking the Bank
Published on January 28, 2025
•4 min read
It’s the coldest time of the year and for you and your home, it may be the most expensive time, too.
With every degree that thermostat goes up, you can almost feel your wallet getting lighter. But as you try to temperature control, the winter weather may have you chilled to the bone.
Looking for some ways to stay warm and not spend extra money doing it?
Turn It Down and Unplug
A simple way to save money on your heating bill this winter is monitoring the thermostat.
It’s a good rule of thumb that the last person to leave home each morning should bring the temperature back down to around 68. This is the target temperature for a home in the winter to ensure that issues with pipes and other appliances don’t happen due to freezing temperatures inside your home.
With the thermostat turned up more in the winter, look for ways to offset the increased cost. Consider all your electric appliances and gadgets and unplug them when not in use.
Even when they’re not turned on, your TV, computer on the charger, hair tools, blender— anything that is plugged in—can be using energy that you will be charged for. This solution is especially important for people who have electric heat.
Layers, Blankets and Space Heaters
It may sound simple, but a thick or weighted blanket, with a sweater and some fuzzy socks, might help you keep that thermostat closer to 68 and not inching upwards of 78. Pair your blankets with some extra layers and you might find that you don’t need to turn the heat up again!
For some, we know that is wishful thinking. If layers and blankets don’t work for you, you may consider or even already have a space heater.
Space heaters are a good alternative in a few ways. This option can heat one area at a time, and you can avoid having to turn up the heat in your entire apartment or home. Plus, they can help you save money on your overall heating bill, especially if you live in a larger space.
Depending on how long you use the space heater for, it is still likely a more affordable alternative than turning the heat up all the time. Once again, this is a major help for those fronting a costly electric heating bill. A space heater for multiple rooms for hours a day, however, is not likely to be more cost-efficient due to the amount of electricity used.
Make sure you follow safety measures if you do choose to use a space heater – and always unplug it when it’s not in use and when you’re not home!
Pipes and Drafts
A costly inconvenience that is more common in the winter is frozen pipes. Not only does this impact the use of your water, but it may cost you thousands.
As the temperatures get colder in your home, water traveling through your pipes can freeze, then expands and causes bursts. How can you prevent frozen pipes?
The easiest way to prevent this is by leaving the cabinet doors open. Head into your kitchen and bathrooms, open the cabinet door where the pipes live, and let the warm air from the heating system make its way in. It’s important that you do this when you’re not home, so they’re warm while you’re gone.
Where can a draft come from?
- Doors
- Windows
- Electrical outlets
- Chimneys
If you think your space is impacted by a draft, the first thing you need to do is identify where it’s coming from. Once you know the root of the problem, you might find an easy and cost-effective solution.
Let’s say the draft is coming from a door or window, for example. There are products you can buy online or at local retailers that are made to go at the base of windows and doors to block where drafts are coming through openings. It is around a $10-$20 investment that can potentially save you hundreds on your heating bill.
For draft issues that are more complicated, or for frozen pipes and other heating issues, it is best you contact an expert to help. While DIY solutions are sometimes the answer to smaller issues, they can also make big problems worse and more expensive.
Weatherization projects are not often in the budget, and you could have an issue that comes with a higher price tag. If this is a fix that needs to be done now, homeowners can consider a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to help get the project paid and done for.
HELOC allows you to pull what you need, when you need it, to get whatever weatherization or renovations done to prepare your home for the cold winter months.
Interested in learning more about HELOC’s at Metro? Connect with an agent in our Digital Branch in minutes!
