 So winter is well and truly here, time to pull out those blankets and spend those cold nights at home watching DVD's. Now that the nights are getting colder you may be keeping your heater on for longer and longer, but are you losing heat without even realizing?
The primary reason that you lose heat from your home is air leakage. 15% to 25% of your winter heating is lost through air leakage. Sometimes air leakage is obvious such as draughts under doors or around ill-fitting windows, but others can be less obvious. Put draft stoppers like door snakes or a rolled up towel at the bottom of outside doorways to keep out cold air. Doing something as simple as this will help in reducing your heating bill.
Another simple but effective way to reduce your heating bill and carbon emissions is to only heat the rooms that you are using, this is known as zoning. By only heating the main living areas and closing the doors to unoccupied rooms you are heating your home in the most effective way. I know this sounds obvious but this is really the best way to heat your home.
Check your thermostat! Did you know that by increasing the temperature of your heater by one degree can increase your heating costs by 10%? So by keeping the temperature stat between 18-19 degrees will not only keep your home at a suitable and comfortable temperature but also save you money.
The lack of ceiling insulation is one of the most ineffective ways to keep your home warm. For every $1000 that you spend on heating $350 of that goes straight up through your roof if your ceiling insulation is inadequate or missing. As well as losing heat through your roof you may also be losing heat through your floor, 10% - 20% of your heating can be lost through your floor. Almost all timber floors have no insulation fitted below them. Finding ways to insulate the flooring is well worth it. 
If you're in the market for a new heater, consider a gas heater because they are cheaper to run and produce less greenhouse gas emissions than electric heaters, 75% less in fact. Also consider a heater which has a timer and automatic thermostat that turns off and on automatically to maintain the right temperature. This will reduce the chance of overheating your home and wasting money.
So as you sit here all rugged up and warm think about ways you can reduce your carbon emissions and reduce your heating bill at the same time. Remember this, If you're feeling cold, consider warming up with a jumper or a rug instead of turning on the heater.
Enjoy your winter and stay warm!
Luke
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