It's painful to watch your heat bill skyrocket during the winter months. In some states it gets so cold, it seems like it would take an act of God for your heater to keep up with the frigid temperatures. If you find that your heat is running all day long and you're still not feeling warm enough, here are some ways to keep your home warm in the wintertime.

Use thick curtains

In the wintertime, you lose heat through your windows no matter how sealed the windows are. Putting thick, heavy curtains over your windows will keep the warm air trapped inside of your home. The cold air from outside also makes your windows cold, which in turn, radiates cold air on both sides and cools off your home. The curtains will keep the cold air blocked from coming inside too much as well.

Run fans in reverse

In the wintertime, running your ceiling fans can actually warm up your house. Ceiling fans usually have a small reverse switch on them. When you run a fan on low, in reverse, it will push the air down. Since heat rises, the fan will keep the heat pushed down, and your house warmer.

Area rugs

About 15% of heat you lose in your home is lost through uninsulated and uncarpeted flooring. If you have wood floors throughout your home, lay down as many thick area rugs as you can. The thick area rugs will keep the heat from escaping through your floor while keeping your feet warm on the floor.

Use exhaust fans sparingly

Only use the exhaust fan in your kitchen and your bathroom when you have to. The exhaust fans pull the rising heat out of your home. If you have no other choice but to use them, turn them off as soon as possible.

Keep doors closed

It may seem better to keep doors open so the heat can travel around and warm up your home, but it's better to keep the doors closed. You don't want your heater turning on throughout the day to heat up bedrooms that no one is using during the day. Keeping the doors closed will keep the heat trapped in the main areas of your home and keep your heater from running constantly.

Use a fireplace

If you don't have a wood fireplace, buy an electric one. Using an electric fireplace will use less electricity than your heater while keeping your home warm. If you have a gas heater, and has prices are high, you won't have to worry about the high cost of gas heat.

Put foil behind radiators & vents

It might sound silly and unattractive, but putting foil behind your radiators and heaters will reflect the heat into your home. Otherwise, the you lose a lot of your heat through your walls. You can buy foil that is specially made for reflecting heat in your home. If you don't want to buy any special foil, regular kitchen foil will work too.

Caulk and weather-strip

Gaps in your doors and windows will bring cold air in and let your hot air out. Make sure you have proper weather-stripping around your door so the gaps between the door and the frame are covered. Put fresh caulking around your windows to keep the drafts out.

Have your heater maintained

Your heater is a machine made up of several different parts. You need to have someone come and maintain your heater so it is running at full capacity. Maintenance will keep it from breaking down on you in the middle of winter, and it will extend the life as well. For more information or advice, contact a business such as A Bailey Plumbing.

In the wintertime, you don't want your heater running non-stop. You can lower your heat bill by doing small things around your home to keep it warm. Don't forget to have your heater maintained so you know it's not the problem.

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