Tips for heating the house without turning on the heat

Timber

It provides warmth in a natural way and is a perfect thermal insulator . Use it on floors, baseboards, wainscoting, furniture … and in all interior carpentry (doors, interior windows, etc.).

"Magic" rugs

They make it possible to reduce heat loss through the floor. Virgin wool or mixed wool and long-haired cotton are very warm and act as excellent thermal insulators against cold and humidity.

Books and pictures

The walls insulate better than window glass, but still let in the cold. With something as simple as covering the walls that face the outside with pictures or a bookcase, you get a more comfortable interior temperature. For example, the temperature on a wall where there is a painting is 1.5º higher than the temperature on a bare wall.

Double curtains

The windows let out a lot of heat. One way to combat it is to put double curtains: a thin one - that allows the light and heat of the sun to pass through during the day - and a thick one, to draw it at night and prevent the passage of cold air.

Strategic furniture

The areas next to the outer walls are colder than the inner areas. Rearranging the furniture by placing it in those warmer areas will help you feel warmer and more comfortable.

Insulating materials

Choose wood or PVC for your exterior joinery. They are the most insulating materials, followed by aluminum. In addition, the insulation of windows and doors with glass is much better if the glazing is double and has thermal break.

Sockets

Put a skirting board to insulate from the cold that rises from the floor towards the walls. It can be made of cork or wood panels, more elegant. You can also paint the walls with thermal insulating paint (it contains ceramic hollow beads), which can save you up to 30% on heating or air conditioning.

Dark colors

If you want to feel comfortable in your bedroom or living room, opt for dark colors or put plaids, blankets and cushions in these tones. Dark colors absorb more heat than light ones. Warm colors such as red, orange, ocher or earthy also reinforce the feeling of warmth.

Versatile sofas

If you can, choose them with interchangeable upholsteries that allow you to wear a warm wool or velvet fabric in winter and a cooler cotton one in summer. If yours is not like that and you still do not plan to renew it, you can cover it with a fabric of the recommended fabrics according to the season of the year.

The low outside temperatures contrast with the heats that rise when the heating bill arrives. Before considering whether to turn the heating back on or not, read this article and visit our image gallery. You will find the best tricks to enjoy the cheapest possible heating , whether you turn on the radiator or not.

Shelter the floors with rugs

If you want to isolate yourself from the cold, dress your floors with rugs. Those with long hair and wool are the ones that best conserve heat. But if someone is allergic to dust at home, it is better to opt for sisal, jute or coconut.

Bedding for snuggling

There is nothing more pleasant than getting into a warm bed in the dead of winter. But this does not require spending a fortune on heating. It is enough to choose the best bedding:

Choose. Wool flannel is the best option for your sheets or duvet covers. Since it is breathable and keeps warm.
Avoid. Acrylic fibers because, although they are very soft to the touch and a pleasure for the senses, they do not perspire and accumulate a lot of static electricity.

Curtains to isolate you from everything

Most of the heat in your home escapes through the windows. Either you give up the light, the views, the comfort or you start dressing the windows to prevent heat leaks.

Thick better than thin. This should be the fabric of a curtain in winter. We recommend rustic linen or velvet, since in addition to sheltering your windows, they are elegant and comfortable fabrics.
It opens at sunrise. So that the light and, above all, its heat flood your home. The sun is the best heating that exists: free, ecological and available. Make the most of it.
Matiza, do not cover. If the sunlight is excessive and you want to nuance it, or you simply want to avoid prying eyes, bet on the double curtain: a thin curtain that filters the rays of light but allows heat to enter; and a thick curtain on top to insulate you from the cold at dusk.

Closed doors protect you from the cold

In old country houses there are many dealers. In today's architecture, we are committed to open spaces, but in the past, when there was no heating in all homes, having small spaces with closed doors allowed the house to be heated better.

Follow those wise steps and keep the doors of your house closed. This way you can concentrate the heat in the area where you stay the longest. This trick is very practical if your house has several floors. Keep rooms you're not using closed, especially if they have vents and vents.

Ventilate only 10 minutes

To have a healthy environment free of pollutants at home, you have to ventilate it every day, whatever the time of year. But for this it is not necessary that the windows are open all morning. 10-15 minutes is enough. In this short space, there is no time for the walls or the floor to cool down.

Also, with this small gesture, you will be taking care of your skin. And, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the level of pollution indoors can be up to 5 times higher than outdoors. Tobacco, cleaning products, air fresheners, etc. they have chemicals that turn into free radicals and damage and age the skin.

And if you put the heating on …

You don't have to go broke. With these tricks you will reduce the bill without realizing it:

Ideal temperature. According to the IDAE (Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy), the ideal temperature during the day is between 19º and 21º. And to sleep, just a temperature between 15º and 17º in very cold areas or close the heating completely.
Radiators without clothes. Using the radiators for clothes makes you spend more. And as a study by the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (United Kingdom) showed, it increases the level of humidity and causes the appearance of mold spores and dust mites, which are harmful to health.
Revised boiler. Good maintenance is key for the boiler to function at peak performance and also to avoid major problems in the future. It is best to do it once a year. It is also necessary to bleed the radiators.
Hotter for less. According to the OCU, with a reflective panel between the wall and the radiator you will be able to recover between 10 and 20% of the heat that is lost towards the wall.

Lower the heat and gain health

In addition to saving, another factor that may convince you to lower the thermostat is the fact that high temperatures are not advisable for your health. These are some of its negative effects:

Dry skin and eyes. Heating dries out the environment and, as a consequence, the skin can flake or itch. In the case of the eyes, dryness makes it easy to get conjunctivitis. The heat pump is the system that dries up the environment the most.
More colds. The dryness of the respiratory mucosa means that the defensive cells do not produce adequate mucus and do not eliminate the bacteria that try to colonize it, making them more prone to infection (colds, flu, etc.). If you've already caught a cold, get rid of it in just 24 hours with these tricks.
Fatigue. Setting the heating very high (25-26º) makes you feel tired and makes it harder to concentrate. In the study or work stay it is advisable to put it at 18-19º and wrap up a little more.
It favors obesity. According to University College London, overusing heating could be one of the reasons for the increase in obesity, because it reduces the need to activate the mechanisms that raise body temperature and burn energy and calories.