– Sustainable Heating Tips for Your House During Winter

For some, winter and colder weather means enjoying a cosier indoors, a time to close the doors and windows, draw the curtains and curl up on the sofa with a book, or in front of your favourite movie with a crackling log fire while the wind gently howls outside. Maybe we are painting a picture too good to be true.

For some, however, the arrival of winter spells the beginning of the drabbest season of the year. One that brings endless hours of cold and dark, leaving you reluctance to step outside: to go to work, to meet friends, exercise, or even shop for groceries 

It’s a period of short days and colder nights when you are likely to spend a lot more time at home. Under the right conditions, there’s nothing more relaxing than being inside, warm and dry, knowing that outside it is cold, wet and miserable.

But this idyllic scene is not to the case for everyone, and even if it was, keeping the home well heated during the colder months can prove costly. But there are a couple of tricks to follow that will help you maintain a cosy that doesn’t have to break the bank.  

Practical Ways to Keep the House Warmer

There are a number of simple and inexpensive ways to take advantage of the heat in your house in more efficient ways. Within the home, it’s easy to create cosy corners in which to take refuge from the elements and spend the best moments of the day.

To create your dream space, first pick a room or nook of the house oriented towards the south or west, if you can. Windows facing in this direction get the best of the sun’s rays, which will help to warm the area naturally. If possible, place your favourite armchair, chair or beanbag in this space, around one metre from the window. This is one of the best and simplest ways to get the most out of the sunlight flooding the space with light, and at the same time heating your body in its rays.

As well as your body, let your house bask in the sun as much as possible. Leave the curtains and shutters open from the early hours of the morning, once the sun is up right until the sun starts to go down, and then do the opposite; draw the curtains and shutters to help preserve and prolong the heat obtained throughout the day for a longer.

If you have an air conditioner system at home that offers heating, make sure you get the most out of it:

• Make sure there are no pieces of furniture that are blocking the air flow
• Close the doors when it is in use to ensure that precious heat isn’t escaping or that it is working too hard to maintain the desired temperature
• Though regular ventilation is recommended, make sure that windows are closed and even consider closing the curtains to avoid cold seeping in through windows

This goes for any heating source in the house, particularly those installed under windows. Before insulation became more widely used, floor air conditioners, electric heaters and radiators were installed under windows because of they are worst insulated surfaces in the home.

If your heating sources are in front of a window, make sure the curtains do not close around them or sit on top of them – as the hot air rises, it will create a ‘pocket’ of heat that will be wasted and thus push your system to work harder to reach the temperature you want

Dress for the Occasion

Also, though it is tempting to crank up the heat and lay about in shorts and t-shirt, doing so, when attempting to heat your home efficiently, isn’t going to help. You’ll be surprised how that tatty jumper, comfy trousers and woollen socks can help reduce money spent on heating costs, not to mention the use of slippers, especially in houses with no carpets.

The Importance of Humidity

The humidity that sometimes makes our lives uncomfortable in the warmer months, can become one of our greatest allies during cold spells. The biggest challenges to staying in warm in winter, when temperatures are more extreme, are, paradoxically, the driest and sunniest days, when there are no clouds in the sky. These are the times when the thermometer plunges, and often stays that way for several days.

By having the right level of moisture in the air, you can avoid the indoor air becoming too dry, which isn’t only uncomfortable but also makes you feel colder. During colder months, the ideal percentage of indoor humidity is recommended at between 30-40%. What’s more is that at this level, it will help retain the heat in the air for longer. However, higher levels of humidity can lead to damp, something which any homeowner wants to avoid.

Another trick is to distribute plants throughout every room. This is another easy and economical way to ensure an even level of humidity throughout the house and buffer the temperature. .

Details at Home that Make a Difference

An obvious but often overlooked tip is to check that window latches close tightly and that window frames are properly sealed. It seems insignificant but it helps to further seal the space and regulate the temperature of rooms. Over time it’ll even have a noticeable positive impact on energy bills.

Another way to prevent draughts entering around windows is to use adhesive sealing strip. This is cut to fit and easily glued along the joints, preventing air entering from the outside. They are usually sold in packages that contain several metres and carry a minimal cost that’s easily regained through the savings made.

Home Heating in Countries with Mild Winters 

Curiously, homes in countries that enjoy temperate climates experience some of the greater challenges during the colder months. Even visitors from harsher climates complain that they feel the cold inside these houses more than they do in their own.

There are various reasons for this, one of the main ones being the fact that in hotter countries buildings are constructed to take advantage of shade, and often face away from the midday sun.

That said, historically, few houses in warmer countries have effective insulation materials – such as Rockwool – between their walls or protecting the exterior of their buildings. This means that when the temperature drops outside, it does inside. Wall insulation can save up to 25% of cooling and heating energy, making it ideal for any climate.

And not only that, but you will gain a degree of soundproofing, keeping your living spaces as peaceful and quiet as possible. You will enjoy a more comfortable and efficient home, and one that boasts a calmer environment, improving your quality of life.

Air Conditioning Solutions Offered by Hitachi

Whatever your situation, the wide range of Hitachi Air Conditioning products offered to achieve the perfect temperature will help you to feel perfectly comfortable at home when it’s colder and make it easier to find the most efficient way for you to do so.

Through the range of Hitachi Residential Air Conditioners, heating and cooling spaces is made easy thanks to the intelligent and efficient technology put at your disposal, including applications that let you manage your AC even when you are out of the house.

Learn more about the Hitachi air-conditioning solutions that can help you create and maintain the optimal indoor temperature and air quality for your home, here.