10 hacks to keep your home warm on a budget this winter
Winter has been cold from the get-go this year, which means heaters aren't enough to keep the chill away.
Whether you can afford to keep them on all day or not, making other changes around the house will help keep you and your home warmer.
The warmer your home is, the less you'll need to use heaters, which helps keep power bills from soaring.
Using home heating hacks ensures that a heater can just be on low to take the chill out of the air, and most of them don't cost that much to try.
Read on for some easy ways to heat your home on a budget.
Heat yourself, not the house
An affordable alternative to a heater is an electric throw or blanket.
There are plenty of different options to suit your budget and needs, with prices as low as $39 for a heated Kmart throw.
What's even better is they are super cheap to run compared to the huge expense of heaters.
Consumer advocate CHOICE estimates that you could have an electric blanket running for eight hours every day during winter and it would only add about $50 to your power bill.
Layer up
Wearing socks, jumpers, using hot water bottles and drinking warm beverages at home will help you stay warm throughout winter and will help avoid panic-inducing heating bills.
Anything you can to do layer up will make a difference to how warm you're feeling.
Stop door draughts
Cold air can easily flow into a room from the gaps around the door frame. This, of course, means any warm air generated by a heater will be escaping out too.
To keep warm air in and cool air out, use a door snake or draught excluder for the bottom of the door and install self-adhesive weather tape around the door.
Both door snakes and weather tape cost less than $20 but make a huge difference to the temperature of a room.
Blockout curtains
Switching to heavy curtains will help protect your interiors from losing heat through your windows. The rule is the thicker the better so, if you don't want to splash out on new curtains, you can make your own using polar fleece blankets.
Re-arrange furniture
If your lounge is under a window it might be time to consider moving it towards the middle of the room or against a wall as being near the glass can cause radiant heat loss from your body, which will make you feel cold.
Also try avoid placing your sofa in front of a radiator or heater as it will absorb the heat and stop it from circulating around the room.
Budget-friendly double glazing
Double-glazed windows are super energy efficient however relatively expensive. A budget alternative is to install a double-glazing film to put across your single-glazed windows. Aussie companies offer this service for around $7000, which in comparison to double-glazing at around $25,000, it's a bargain.
Alternatively you can buy temporary glazing kits which can be attached using a hairdryer for around $46 — they're totally removable so it's an option for renters, although you won't be able to open the window again without breaking the seal.
But the ultimate budget hack, which many Aussies swear by, is to line windows with bubble wrap. You can use leftover bubble wrap from packaging if you have some or buy a 500mm by 5m roll from Bunnings for $5.
Invest in a rug (and liner)
Although you can't replicate the lush feeling of under-floor heating for tiles and floorboards, a rug will add comfort for your feet on a chilly day.
Floors account for approximately 10-20 per cent of heat loss when they aren't insulated so a plush rug will make your room feel and look cosier, and will also help alleviate any cold air which might come through the gaps in your floorboards.
Switch up your sheets
Flannelette sheets have come a long way in the style stakes since the days of nan's checked numbers, with a variety of good-looking shades to choose from. But that's not the only option you've got for snuggly winter bedding.
Linen, fleece, silk and cotton are other options for winter that will keep you warm on the coldest nights. On top of that you can also try options such as down comforters, pillow toppers and extra blankets and throws to create a winter-ready bed.
Let the light in
During the day open up your curtains and let sunlight in to use as much natural – and free – heat from outside. Close your curtains as soon as the sun begins to set to retain the heat you've brought in during the day.
View more galleries
Most viewed in Homes
Filthy floor not cleaned in 10 years transforms back to sparkling with four-letter method
Habit after every dishwasher cycle making it mouldy and ruining the machine
This common potting mix mistake could be the reason your plants aren’t thriving
The best paint colours for making small rooms look bigger
