Hints for using less heating in the winter

1. Bedrooms, more oxygen is contained in cooler air. Sleeping with a cooler bedroom helps deeper resting sleep. Close off the heater vents to these rooms during the day and keep them cool at night for better health. Have a mattress pad under your sheets, and use high loft covers to conserve warmth. Don’t put your bed near a window where cool air drafts could chill you and in very cold arias ware a knitted hat at night. (Sounds silly but putting your head under the covers makes the air you are breathing thick and not good for you.)

2. Stairways. A drape using a tension rod to hold it up over the bottom of a stairway helps keep the heat in the parts of the house that are used during the day.

3. Clothing. 35% of the heat of your body is lost through the top of your head. If you are really cold put on some kind of head covering. Another good % goes out your legs and ankles, put on high top socks or legwarmers—even with thin shoes you will be warmer but thicker soles and waterproof shoes are the best.

4. Get used to the cooler weather so when you need the heat you will not turn it up so high. Your body needs time to adjust, so go outside when it is cool and breathe deeply letting your body know that the cooler feeling is ok. You will feel better and not need to have the air so warm.

5. Hot drinks temporarily warm you when you are cold. Some like coffee make you sweat so be careful if you are outside, dampness will chill you.

6. Not getting too cold is the key. Do not let yourself get chilled. If you feel you are getting cold go in, bundle up, put on a warm hat. Remember fluffy, thick clothing holds more heat. With warm clothing and your body adjusted to the temperatures you will avoid getting chilled. It will take a lot more heat to get you warm.

7. If you do get chilled a warm bath will most quickly get you warm again but don’t get your hair wet and get into dry clothing when you get out.

8. Use the heat of the sun to warm the house during the day. Open the drapes and let the sun warm your furniture and the air in your room. Just as the sun moves off close the drapes. You will be surprised how much heat you can collect.

These seem like thing that are silly, but I will guarantee that you will feel and be warmer with much less heat.