Old-Fashioned Ways to Keep Your Home Warm

Long before modern furnaces, people stayed warm with smart habits. Many of them still cut heating costs today.

Central heating made it easy to forget how people stayed warm for centuries. Many of those older habits cost little or nothing and still reduce the load on a modern heating system.

1. Warm the person first

Wool sweaters, thick socks and slippers keep body heat close. Adding a layer is far cheaper than raising the thermostat by a few degrees.

2. Heat the rooms you use

Families once gathered around a single hearth and left other rooms cool. Today, a space heater in the room you occupy most can let you lower the central thermostat. Close doors to unused rooms, but not where pipes could freeze.

3. Hang heavy curtains

Thick drapes were once treated as insulation. Thermal curtains do the same job now. Open them when the sun hits the window and close them as soon as the light moves off the glass.

4. Block drafts

A rolled towel or draft stopper at the base of exterior doors keeps cold air from sneaking in. Weatherstripping around windows is an inexpensive weekend fix.

5. Follow the sun

South-facing windows bring in free heat during the day. Keep them clear of furniture and heavy screens in winter.

6. Use thermal mass

Stone, brick and tile absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night. A sunny tiled floor or brick wall acts like a battery.

7. Cover the floor

Rugs on bare floors stop heat from escaping downward and make rooms feel warmer underfoot.

8. Warm the bed

A hot water bottle or a heated mattress pad lets you keep the bedroom cool without being cold at night.

9. Reverse the ceiling fan

Running a fan clockwise on low pushes warm air from the ceiling back down into the room.

10. Cook at home

Baking and simmering on the stove add warmth and humidity to the house. Leave the oven door open after you turn it off to let the heat into the kitchen.