How to Keep Your Home Warm Without Raising the Thermostat

I’ll be honest: I get flashbacks to childhood whenever I turn up the thermostat in my home. As the daughter of a budget-conscious man, I am forever hesitant to make it warmer in the colder months by simply cranking up the heat. What if Dad was right? After all, higher heat usually means more expensive bills at the end of the month and wasted energy. 

The truth of the matter is, there are ways you can boost the temperature of your home and keep it cozy without touching the thermostat. In an effort to stay warm, we spoke with two HVAC experts who shared five key methods for maintaining a toasty, cozy space—sans energy bill spikes.

Service Your Heating System Regularly

Think about it: If you don’t regularly service your car (changing fluids, rotating the tires, and replacing air filters), you’ll soon notice how it can all affect performance. The same goes for your heating system. Sean Hogan, CEO of Aventus Eco, emphasizes the importance of having your unit serviced annually. "This keeps small problems from getting worse and costing you more," Hogan explains. "It could save you money on your energy bills over time."

When you have your heating system serviced, a technician will typically inspect everything to ensure proper function and replace any worn parts. In between servicing, experts recommend replacing the filters regularly. With regular maintenance, you’ll notice that your boiler/furnace heats your home more evenly and it can extend the life of your unit. 

Seal Up Drafts

Josh Leclair, owner of Village Home Services, recommends sealing any drafts that you notice around your house, calling it one of the "simplest and most effective improvements" one can make. Even if your house has the heat cranked up, any small gaps around things like your doors, outlets, or windows can allow the heat to escape (and cold air to come in), Leclair explains. 

Luckily, this is one of those fixes that you can DIY. If the draft is at the sill of a doorway, consider installing a door sweep to block cold air at the threshold. These are usually under $20 at any home improvement store and are simple to install. For drafts coming from a window frame, use rope caulk or clear sealant to keep heat in and cold air out.

Update Poor or Outdated Insulation 

Don't let all that precious heat you’re paying for slip through literal cracks in your insulation. Updating old insulation in basements or attics can have a larger upfront cost—expect to pay between $1,000 and $4,000 if you hire a professional—but it can save you money in the long run. Leclair says that homes with poor insulation can lose up to a quarter of their heat through just the roof.

“Upgrading attic insulation, for example, is one of the most cost-effective improvements a homeowner can make,” Leclair explains. “The same goes for basement walls, crawlspaces, and even rim joists around the foundation. These areas often get overlooked, but they play a big role in how warm a house feels.” 

Since older insulation loses its R-value (this is essentially how effective insulation is at its job) due to time and moisture, it becomes less energy efficient over time. By using the right type and thickness of insulation, you’ll create a thermal barrier that traps heat in your home properly.

Keep Air Vents and Registers Open

It's simple but it makes a difference: Ensure all of the air vents and registers in your home are open and clear of anything that could potentially block airflow. “Furniture, rugs, or even long curtains can block airflow, forcing the system to work harder to push heat where it’s needed,” Leclair says. 

Inspect each room and confirm that all vents, baseboard heaters, and radiators have at least a few feet of clearance. If rearranging furniture isn’t an option, consider using vent extenders or deflectors to help redirect warm air around any large items to reach the middle of the space you want to heat. Keeping these pathways clear improves comfort and also helps your heating system run more efficiently, which reduces wear and tear over time.

Even Out Your Radiators

Ever notice some rooms in your house heat up quickly while others are still chilly? If so, your radiator could be out of whack. Since radiators work by circulating hot water, if the flow isn’t balanced, certain rooms will hog all the precious heat while others get very little.

Hogan says the solution is a little more complicated than just opening your air vents—but it’s worth the trouble. The fix involves adjusting the lockshield valve, which is a small valve usually hidden under a cap on the opposite side of your radiator’s main control. By slightly closing the valve on radiators in warmer rooms, you'll slow down the water flow there and force more hot water to circulate to the colder rooms. The result? Heat that's spread more evenly throughout your home.

Unless you’re a DIY pro, Hogan says you should probably have a professional balance the system for best results. It can make a noticeable difference in your comfort within different rooms without turning up the thermostat.