Heating homes during winter months can be expensive, not only for our pockets but also for the environment. Here are 6 tips and easy ways to keep the house warm and cut back on energy use too.

It’s easier to change your body temperature than it is to change the temperature of a room. So it makes sense to dress in your cosiest clothes to keep yourself warm.

Nothing says it’s winter more than putting on your old, reliable Uggs, cosy boots or slippers over a pair of thermal leggings. Top it off by pulling on a cosy jumper, and you’re all wrapped up to face the winter chills.

When it comes time to sleep, the way you layer your blankets can make or break how warm your bed can feel. If you want to maximise warmth in your bed over the chilly months, the first thing you need to know is that lots of thinner blankets will be more effective than only a couple of thick ones.

Multiple layers trap warm air better, leaving you feeling toasty all night long. Make sure any wool blankets go between your quilt and sheets. These are the best at trapping heat and are most effective here.

If you sleep with a partner, each of you should have your own blankets. This prevents you from feeling that chilly draft between your two bodies, as well as stops them from ‘accidentally’ stealing the blankets in the middle of the night!

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Anyone who’s spent time in a humid climate knows that humid air feels warmer than dry air. Buying a humidifier and using it in your bedroom or living room can bring more benefits than just making you feel warmer too.

If you’ve been running the heat, your air is likely considerably more dry than usual. Your skin and hair will greatly benefit from the added moisture a humidifier can bring. Humidifiers also can reduce cold symptoms such as breathing difficulties, stuffy nose, and sore throats.

Intelligent smart home systems, such as a smart mist humidifier, also come with control automation, maximising convenience and home comfort. Not only will it help you but also those houseplants with the brown tips you’ve been neglecting. They’ll love the boost of humidity and warmth!

In winter, you can expect between 10 and 20% of heat to escape through your floor. You can minimise heat loss here by placing carpet or rugs on floorboards and tiles in your home.

Adding rugs also gives you the option to give your room a new look or colour scheme and perhaps brighten your home up on gloomy days.

Did you know that up to 35% of the heat in your home is lost through your ceiling? Investing in your home’s ceiling insulation can go a long way in reducing unnecessary heat loss.

Good insulation can be quite a costly upfront, but the ongoing benefit of minimising heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer significantly outweighs this. Think of it as a long-term investment in your home.

We all know that ceiling fans can be used to help keep us cool in summer, but did you know that you can also use them in winter? Most ceiling fans have a switch on them that will reverse the direction they spin.

Spinning slowly clockwise, the angle of the blades draws cool air upwards and pushes warm air down and onto you. While it’s not raising the temperature of the room like air conditioning or a heater will, the movement of air can help you feel warmer.

Using your ceiling fans in combination with your air conditioner or heater means you can set it to a lower temperature but still effectively warm a room too.

You could also considering installing a split system air conditioner that both heats and cools, and look at other smart technology to control the temperature in your home more efficiently.