Get hygge with it
In a nutshell, hygge is a Danish term that describes a general feeling of cosiness, comfort, familiarity and wellbeing. Danes embrace hygge all year – it’s a way of life.
Hygge is all about appreciating the simple pleasures in life and the small things that bring you joy – like a scented candle, a good book and a nice blanket. So why not embrace winter and celebrate all of the ways in which you can get cosy at home? Pull out your blankets (or throws) and keep them handy in the living room. Treat yourself to your favourite candle or incense, pull on your fluffiest socks and make yourself a warming drink.
Embracing hygge may even entice you to turn down the heating and help you save some extra coin you can put towards even more homely touches.
Whip up some comfort food
Warming yourself from the inside out is a great excuse to whip up some winter classics. Soups, casseroles and curries are hearty favourites for a reason and are sure to be a hit with the whole family. Added bonus? not only will the scents coming out of your kitchen make your neighbours jealous (and make your house smell incredible), by preparing the dishes yourself, the residual heat generated from your oven or stove top will also help warm your home.
Another energy-efficient alternative is a good old slow cooker – and who doesn’t love a comforting soup or stew in winter. Slow cookers are incredibly versatile and use less energy than standard ovens.
Heat the hub
If you live in a place that’s cold enough to run a heater, heat your main living spaces – rather than individual rooms. When running your heater, be sure to set the thermostat between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. Each degree over that uses about 10% more energy.
To ensure you capture the heat in your space, close the doors to rooms you’re not using and, if you’re able to, install special purpose-built windows and door seals to stop the hot air escaping. If you’re on a budget, a trusty door snake will help block any sneaky cool air from coming in.
Consider whether you need to turn off the heater
When heating your home it may also be beneficial to keep your heating on all day. That’s right, if you have reverse cycle air-conditioning it’s efficiency will vary throughout the day.
Reverse cycle air-conditioners work by sucking heat from the air outside. So, theoretically, if you set the temperature to 24 degrees when it’s 24 degrees outside, it would cost very little. As the majority of air conditioners have a sensor within them that regulates the temperature, it will work to heat your home to whichever temperature you set.
With this in mind, it’s best not to turn reverse cycle air-conditioning on and off. If you heat your home for a while, only to switch the heating back on when it gets cold again, your aircon is going to have to work hard to get back to that desired temperature.
Whereas if it’s on the same low temperature between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius – hopefully not too different from the outside temperature – it’s going to run much more efficiently.
If you’re relying on portable electric heaters or gas systems, flicking them on and off isn’t going to make much of a difference as these appliances don’t have the sensor functionality like reverse cycle air-conditioners do.
Out with the old
Who said spring needs to be the time to get organised? With the weather so uninviting outside, take advantage of the warmth inside and use your extra time indoors to do a spring clean of your space. From cleaning the fridge, to getting on top of the filters in your split system – a little spruce could result in significant savings on your energy bill. Chances are, you’ll feel even cosier too.
Shower those winter blues away
If all else fails, retreat to the bathroom, throw on your favourite song and run yourself a nice warm shower. It may not quite get you through to September, but it’ll sure help warm you up!
