How To Stay Warm Without Running Your Furnace

Staying warm during the colder times of the year can be tricky, particularly when you are on a budget and trying to minimize the use of your furnace. As snowstorms and frosty temperatures take over, you may find it difficult to cope without a proper heating system.

But there’s good news – you can improve the warmth and comfort of your space during this period without running a furnace at all!

If you’re wondering how, then this article is for you. Here, you’ll discover proven tips and techniques you can instantly start implementing to stay warm without the use of a furnace or other heating device.

And best of all, these tips don’t cost a lot less than more costly home energy upgrades!

Winter Saving Tips To Stay Warm Without Running A Furnace

Aside from the drop in temperature, another notable change that occurs during winter is the significant rise in heating costs throughout the season. As a matter of fact, the average Canadian homeowner spends more than $1,113 a year on space heating – an amount that’s more than half of the total home energy bill.

Whether you can afford it or not, saving money on heating expenses is highly recommended these days, especially as energy costs are on the rise.

Here are a few saving tips to implement if you plan to save money on your heating bills this winter:

Saving Tip #1: Use a Programmable Thermostat

Putting a programmable thermostat in place is the first step toward staying warm without running a furnace. It allows you to automatically control the temperature in your space whether you’re in or out, asleep or awake. If you’d love to fully optimize the function of your thermostat, you can purchase a smart thermostat like Nest or ecobee.

When the temperature in your space is optimally regulated, it naturally stays warm and comfortable for you without necessarily running a furnace. In addition, the smart thermostat you get will solve all your winter problems without the hassle and, at the same time, offer you strategic ways to reduce your electricity bill. All you need to do is to ensure you find the right smart thermostat that suits your needs.

Saving Tip #2: Harness Sun Heat

Harnessing the heat from the sun is the most natural way to stay warm without running your furnace. You can do this by opening your blinds and curtains to allow bright morning sunlight to enter and warm up your room during the cold weather. The heat that enters during the day can be retained and used throughout the night.

In addition, the vitamin D from sun rays also serves as a repellent for winter blues, and the UV light from the sun enhances indoor air quality. So, to allow the sun to shine through unhindered, reaching most parts of your home, make sure to trim back tree branches that may be causing an obstruction. The more you harness the heat from the sun, the more chances you have of keeping yourself and your home warm without a furnace.

Saving Tip #3: Add Door Draft Stoppers and Insulate Your Windows

The small opening beneath doorways is the most accessible passage for cold air to enter your home, even if doors are shut. Adding door draft stoppers is another effective way to keep your home warm without using a furnace. Door draft stoppers are handy and easy to make, and are placed right at the front of the door to prevent heat loss as well as cold air coming into the home.

You can also insulate your window by using plastic weatherproofing films to seal spaces air may penetrate through. You need a window film insulation kit with a plastic sheet and double-sided tape to do this. Once you cut the plastic sheet that fits your window size, apply the tape around the window frame to seal the sheet to the tape.

Saving Tip #4: Get a Floor Rug

While rugs add decorative touches to a room, it also helps to keep a room warm during the winter months. Irrespective of your flooring, having a rug above it can add underfoot warmth to the flooring while providing you with a warmer surface to walk or sit on.

The thicker and larger the rug, the more protection it offers against cold when you’re not running a furnace. So before choosing one, ensure you’ve evaluated its size and texture. Make sure to also clean your rugs frequently, otherwise any humid air might cause them to feel damp.

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Saving Tip #5: Get a Humidifier

As humidity levels naturally go down during winter, having cold air in your home can be intolerable, especially if you don’t plan to run a furnace. The best solution is to get a humidifier that helps combat winter air in the house. As much as getting a humidifier is one of the many furnace-saving tips, it would help only if you strategically use it.

Saving Tip #6: Reverse Your Ceiling Fan

Reversing your ceiling fan is another effective way to warm your room without running a furnace. It involves switching the fan’s direction from counterclockwise to clockwise to push warm air around the ceiling. You can do this by using the switch located at the base of the fan – a little-known tip about ceiling fans you’ve probably never heard of!

Saving Tip #7: Leave the Oven Door Open

Are you using the oven today? If so, don’t worry about the heating! Simply keep the oven door open when you’re done cooking. This may not heat a large area, but the hot air emanating from the over will provide some heat to your small space.

Other Things To Do For Yourself To Stay Warm Without A Furnace

Keeping a space warm may be a challenge, but if you’re not taking care of your own body temperature, the challenge doubles. There are several things you can do for yourself in order to stay warm without running a furnace:

1.   Wear Layers and Thermals

Considering you wouldn’t be running your furnace, a helpful thing to do is to wear layers to trap body heat that keeps you warm. You should wear these clothes on the body parts most susceptible to cold, like the head, hands, and feet.

For extra body warmth, consider wearing high-quality thermals in the form of undergarments, t-shirts, or leggings.

2.   Stay Active

Due to the temperature outside, people typically stay indoors more during winter. While that offers some protection from the cold, you can maximize it by getting yourself active rather than sitting still for an extended period. Staying active helps you stay warm and, at the same time, enhances the circulation of blood flow through your body.

3.   Drink Warm Beverages

Staying hydrated during cold weather is as helpful as during hot weather. The only difference is that you take warm drinks and beverages to stay warm during cold weather, while you take cold drinks and beverages during hot weather to cool off. As the focus here is on cold weather, you should prioritize coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and other great warm recipes to keep yourself warm.

4.   Use an Electric Blanket

One of the best ways to keep yourself directly warm without having to heat up the whole house is to use an electric blanket. And while you may think you will need to stay in bed to keep warm with it, think again. You can take the electric blanket with you to other parts of the house, such as the couch, particularly if the blanket is a single-sized one.  

5.   Use Bodywarmers and Hot Water Bottles

Another portable option is the hot water bottle. Take it with you around the house and you won’t even be thinking about turning on the furnace! A heating pad or bodywarmer is a similar option but differs in that both of them are even more portable that a hot water bottle, do not require water, offer direct heat onto the skin, and can fit snuggly under your clothes, in the insoles of your shoes, and some are small enough to fit even in your pockets.

Final Thoughts

If you’re on a mission to decrease your heating bill, then you should either find a more affordable furnace or start considering how best to keep yourself and your home warm without necessarily running a furnace.

There are many ways to stay warm without running a furnace or turning on a heating device, most of which are quite cost-effective and will help you save on your heating bills in the long run. It’s up to you to decide which option you prefer and which works best for you.

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