If your home doesn’t have great insulation, or the temperatures plummet and make it seem like your insulation is non-existent, your heating system may have a hard time keeping up. Heat escapes quickest through poorly insulated windows, walls, gaps around doors and through fireplaces.

While you may be in the market for a new furnace or boiler heating system as well – and be sure to give us a call if so – there are still some easy tips you can take advantage of to keep the cold out as much as possible and save some money on your utilities.

1. Heavy-Duty Tin Foil Reflector

While kitchen tin foil probably won’t do much, heavy-duty tin foil can really help keep the heat in your home. This works best if placed between a radiator and wall, as radiators can send heat straight into a wall, which results in lost energy – and cash – for you.

Attach the tin foil securely, and make sure it isn’t in a position to be charred.

2. Block Heat Transfer

If you stick your hand near your window and feel a breeze, no matter how slight, you may have heat escaping from your home (and cold air sneaking in). You can also test this by holding a candle near the edges of the window – just be sure there’s nothing flammable nearby, like curtains.

Once you’ve identified that cold air is leeching in, you can purchase or sew heavy curtains to hang over the window. It helps if the curtain can scoop around the sides of the window as well, to help block airflow.

You may have heard this one before, but you can also tape heavy-duty clear plastic to the inside of your window pane and seal it tightly to help reduce the transfer of heat.

Another key to insulating your home is to cover holes and gaps which can let cold air in and heat out. Some examples include keyholes in older homes, mail slots and gaps around doors. For most of these gaps, rubber or silicone insulated fillers can be purchased and used to block the area when not in use.

3. Fireplaces

Fireplaces can be a nice source of extra heat, and they look beautiful. If not properly taken care of, they can also be a place where you lose heat as well.

Your fireplace should have the damper closed anytime you’re not using it, to prevent warm air from escaping right up the chimney. It’s similar to closing a window; not 100% perfect, but pretty close.

For additional protection, some people install tempered glass doors in front of the fireplace to retain additional heat in the home.

If you need an extra boost to heat your house, be sure to contact us for a furnace, boiler, unit heater or humidifier!