4 Cheap Ways to Heat a Room

Want to stay warm and cozy without the high heating bills?

Of course you do.

The problem is, most homeowners think the solution to a cold home is to just blast more heat. The smarter solution? Focus on preventing heat from escaping your home, instead.

Don’t worry—we’ll show you exactly how to do this.

4 tips that will help you conserve heat and save money, include:

• Protect your windows
• Cover openings
• Shut unused rooms
• Insulate your home

Below, we’ll go into more detail about how (and why) these tips will help warm up your space.

Heat loss via windows can account for 25-30% of your heating bills, according to the U.S. Department of energy. Even if your windows are closed, they can still allow heat to escape your home. There are a few ways to protect your windows and combat this issue.

Add bubble wrap

Bubble wrap helps create a barrier between the cold window and the heat in your room by absorbing some of the cold through the pockets of air in the bubble wrap.

To apply bubble wrap to your window, just spray a thin layer of water onto your window and press the bubble wrap (the bubble side) against the wet window.

Bubble wrap is a great option as opposed to heavier materials like cloth because it's lightweight and clear, allowing warm sunlight to come through.

Put up thick drapes

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drapes can reduce heat loss up to 10%.

While some drapes are fairly expensive, there are a few cost-effective options, including:

• Drapes or curtains with thermal lining
• Homemade drapes
• PVC shower curtains

Note: The key is to use a thick material that will go all the way to the floor, as opposed to curtains, which are typically sized to fit the window.

Window Insulation Film

This is a fairly cheap option that also allows sunlight into your home. Window insulation film is a plastic shrink film that you can apply to the inside of your window.

There are probably a few places in your home where heat is escaping without you even noticing. Some common examples are:

• Mail slot: Unfortunately, this should stay unsealed to allow for mail delivery. However, you can purchase a mail slot cover which will allow for mail to be delivered without the cold air. For a no-cost option, you can also “seal” your mail slot at night by covering it with a heavy material, like fleece.
• Chimney: Install a removable chimney balloon when you are not using your fireplace to prevent heat from escaping.
• Doggie door: Seal this area when it’s not being used.
• Doors: Purchase and install draught-proofing strips (internally and externally) between doors and frames to mitigate heat loss.

This will keep heat in a smaller area, preventing cold air from moving around the rest of the house. If you tend to stay in a certain area of your house, close doors to rooms you don’t enter as frequently.

Insulation is a little more pricey than the other tips listed here, but can end up paying for itself in a few years.

Heat naturally flows from a warm area into a cooler area. This movement of heat continues until both areas are the same temperature. In your home, this probably means that heated air is moving to unheated areas like attics, garages, basements and outside.

A great way to prevent this is to properly insulate your home. This decreases heat flow by providing resistance.

There are many different kinds of insulation, including:

• Fiberglass
• Rock and slag wool
• Cellulose
• Natural fibers
• Foam boards
• Sleek foils

While you can install insulation yourself, we recommend having a professional do this as it can be difficult.