With little relief in sight from the bitterly cold winter temperatures, it’s only natural that people try to find new ways to stay warm – without using a heater to heat up their energy bills. Fortunately, there are plenty of little things your Michigan heating service will tell you that you can do to make a big difference. You can even turn your thermostat down a couple of degrees and still stay warm when you do some other things to help keep the heat in and the cold out.

Following are 10 little ways you can stay warm at home without turning up your thermostat or using a space heater:

1. Whether you choose to exercise, clean the house or dance, increasing your activity will get your body warmed up. If you’re interested in yoga, there are some positions that are specifically for raising your core body temperature. If you like to dance, any movement will do, whether you dance with someone or alone.
2. While drinking cool beverages in the summer trigger your body’s need to cool off, warm drinks in the winter perform the opposite action, and activate your body’s system of warming up. It can be anything, in fact, and not just a drink – soups, stews and the like can not only warm you up, but can also satisfy your taste buds.
3. Think! Meditation is actually a very beneficial way of keeping yourself warm. When you focus on your breathing, you can train your mind to reassign how your body feels. If you think you’re cold, you’ll most likely shiver and tense up. However, if you concentrate your view point differently, you can relax and control your body and how you feel about your environment.
4. Did you know that canopy beds weren’t designed only to look fancy? They actually serve a purpose – to keep more of your own heat closer to your body. Don’t have a canopy bed? Just sleep with a blanket lightly over your face to trap the warm air you exhale – your very own personal heat source.
5. If you’re not one for cooking meals in your home during the summer, make sure you reverse that habit during the winter. Cooking will be an immediate and automatic producer of heat in addition to great food – heat that will warm you and your home.
6. Make use of the principle of body heat; cuddling or being close to another person will add to the amount of heat close to you.
7. Don’t shy away from lighting candles! Not only do they give off light, but they also give off heat. Of course, be sure to be careful and observant while they burn, and never fall asleep with candles burning.
8. During the day, you’ll want to open curtains to let the warm sunshine in and clear anything that blocks out the sun. At night, you’ll want to do the opposite – draw the curtains and place things against the walls to add an extra barrier between you and the cold temperatures outside.
9. Be sure that your home has enough insulation; insulated windows, walls and attics can make a tremendous difference in your energy consumption and your bills. Insulation is going to prevent heat from escaping your home, and since heat rises, the attic is one of the best areas to pack in the installation.
10. Don’t forget to install weather stripping and draft blockers. Winter drafts can decrease the temperature in your home by dozens of degrees, so it’s important that you keep those drafts out. Also, close vents and doors to rooms that are not currently in use.

There are so many additional ways you can keep warm this winter, and our heating services in Michigan can help you discover and review the options that would be ideal for your home. Contact Kotz today – we proudly serve Oakland County, Michigan and all surrounding areas.