Hacks to keep you cosy
Crank up the heat pump, pile another log on the burner, or hunker down in a single room with an electric heater? Mikaela Wilkes breaks down the most cost-effective ways to keep warm.
It’s getting cold out – and in, depending on your insulation and heating options. Before you reach for the thermostat remote, you should make sure the heater in each area of your house is the right size for the room, the most efficient option, and worth its price tag.
In some cases, a few small, low-cost home heating manoeuvres can make a bigger difference than simply turning up the dial to high.
What is the most cost-efficient type of heater?
That really depends on the space you’re trying to heat. Heat pumps are perceived as cheap to run and easy to use, but the way we use them can rack up some seriously hefty power bills.
Heat pumps use electricity to shift ambient heat from the air outdoors into your home, and can transform each unit (kW) of electricity into 3 or more units of warmth. By contrast, plug-in electric heaters convert electricity directly into warmth via a resistive element with a 1:1 efficiency.
But – and it’s a big but – ‘‘The improved efficiency of heat pumps comes with a hefty price tag. They cost at least 10 times more than plug-in electric heaters to buy and install, and can’t be moved from room to room,’’ says Consumer NZ.
‘‘So, despite their high running costs, electric heaters are often the most cost-effective option for small or occasionally used rooms, such as the office or bedrooms.’’
However, in decent-sized living areas, a heat pump will more than pay for itself. Electric heaters (with a maximum heat output of 2400W) just don’t have the grunt to tackle the job.
A plug-in electric heater is the cheapest option when it comes to upfront cost, which is why they’re a quick-fix favourite with renters.
However, buying cheap can be a false economy. While all heaters convert all the electricity they use into heat, the size and type of heater makes a difference to how well they will work in the room.
Oil column heaters heat a room gradually. They don’t suck up quite as much power as some of the cheap fan models, but the heat isn’t distributed evenly in the space. For this reason, fan heaters tend to work better than columns in living areas.
But oil column heaters are good in spots where safety and quietness are priorities, like bedrooms.
Consumer NZ recommends a fan-equipped convector or oscillating tower heater for a modern insulated house.
Just bear in mind that a plug-in electric heater could tally up by the end of the month. According to Energywise, cranking up one 2Kw electric heater for five hours a day costs $2.50. That’s $17.50 a week.
What about burning wood? Most of the heat from a traditional fireplace goes up the chimney, but a properly sized woodburner can heat the whole house.
How cost-effective either a woodburner or a pellet burner will be depends on how much the wood or pellets cost. For the best bargains, you need to have bought seasoned wood – that’s wood that’s only about half dry – and stored it for about six months so it’s ready for winter.
According to Consumer NZ, woodburners are almost twice as expensive to run as heat pumps.
Don’t forget the DIY hacks
Around 20 to 30 per cent of an uninsulated home’s heat can escape through windows. Marcos Peleneur, ECCA group manager of strategy, insights and regulations, says double glazing is undeniably effective.
If you don’t want to replace all your windows, consider doing it piecemeal. ‘‘The first step is to just think about installing double glazing in the rooms your household uses the most, or where there’s condensation,’’ he says.
Fitted double glazing can cost between $18,000 and $20,000 for an average three-bedroom home, putting it squarely out of the quick-fix price range.
It might not look so good, but a sheet of bubble wrap or a window insulator kit will achieve some results for the price of a meal out.
Secure bubble wrap on internal windows in seldom-used areas with some Blue-Tack or doublesided tape, and make sure it is in line with the frame.
Homed reporter Kylie Klein Nixon tested out a home insulation kit on her bedroom windows to see if it could solve her condensation problem – one year later it was still doing the trick.
Cost: $35 for a 3M Window Insulator kit for five windows.
Another solution is to roll up a bathroom towel and put it above the curtain rail. That’s all.
When Consumer NZ tested out creative home heating hacks to see if they were an urban myth, head of testing Dr Paul Smith said the towel hack ‘‘worked really well’’. ‘‘The warm air in your room rises, then it tends to sink down behind the curtains – if it can – and as it passes by the cold window, the heat gets sucked out quite quickly. ‘‘So, rolling a towel, putting it right along the curtain track at the top and covering that gap stops the air going down behind the curtain. So it had a measurable effect.’’ Cost: $0.
Wooden floors are cold. If fluffy socks aren’t cutting it, a rug is a great way to add another layer of insulation to the bedroom or lounge.
Rugs make a room feel cosy and inviting and can tie the rest of your decor together all at once.
A thick rug will help prevent heat loss through the floor, especially if there’s no insulation underneath. If you live in a villa, even adding a simple runner in the hallway will help.
You can pick up a large rug secondhand quite cheaply, or the likes of Kmart, the Warehouse and Bunnings have some great options starting around $50.
Cost: $50+
What’s better than a fluffy throw? An electric blanket.
What’s better than an electric blanket? An electric blanket you can use sitting on the sofa. Yes people, they’ve done it.
The good folks at Kmart and the Warehouse have taken two simple winter items and mashed them together to create the newest homeware trend: the heated throw.
According to Energywise, electric blankets use as little as 0.4 kilowatts to stay toasty over four hours, so each one you put on for the evening is only going to cost you about 10 cents. A family of four running their blankets every night for a month will rack up a grand total of $12 in electricity charges. An absolute bargain.
Cost: $39-$49.