Winter weather leaves us all shivering, and sometimes just turning up the heat isn’t enough to fight the chill. Then what? You could do a home energy audit to find the source of drafts and cut down on heat loss, but sometimes the only solution to an icy home is to make some improvements. Using new smart home technology can significantly improve your home’s efficiency and help you stay comfortable this winter, even when it slips below freezing.
Create Home Zones
Most older home heating systems have a single central thermostat that controls the entire home’s temperature, which means that rooms far away from the thermostat may end up far too cold or too hot. They can also make the home prone to a lot of energy waste, heating spaces that no one uses. By switching to a smart thermostat with a home zoning system, though, you can reprogram your home to heat only specific areas based on use.
Opt For Electric
Classic fireplaces lend a home a lot of charm, but they’re also terribly inefficient. In particular, because they need to be well-ventilated, fireplaces are prone to a lot of heat loss. One way to maintain the aesthetic appeal of a fireplace without the inefficiency is by switching to an electric fireplace for supplemental heat. The electric fireplace can be connected to smart speakers and other home hubs for central control.
Insulate With Blinds
Proper window coverings are important for keeping your home properly insulated, but it’s also important to let some sunshine in, both for mental health and for some natural, thermal heat. That means you need to be highly attentive regarding when the curtains or blinds are open, which isn’t always practical. Installing motorized blinds and scheduling them to change position at the appropriate times of day can simplify this process, making sure every room is properly insulated, even if you’re not home to adjust the blinds.
Hook Up A Humidifier
Our homes tend to become warm and dry during the winter, which can lead to dry skin and nosebleeds, and can aggravate health issues like asthma or respiratory infections, but there’s an easy solution: a humidifier. In particular, by using a smart humidifier you can maintain control over air conditions and make your home more comfortable. Most smart thermostats also take humidity into account when setting the home’s temperature, but they can’t add more moisture to the environment, only heat it accordingly. An actual humidifier will help keep conditions balanced.
It’s All In The Details
Sometimes staying comfortable in the winter months is all about the small details – the blankets, slippers, and warm beverages. What happens when you leave your cup of cocoa out too long, though? It’s the worst, especially if you’ve just come in from shoveling snow or digging out your car. Grab a chargeable Ember mug with customizable temperature settings and never worry about your warm drinks getting cold again. And on the coldest days, isn’t that what really matters?
The worst winter days can leave us feeling cold all the way down to our bones, and sometimes standard heating options just don’t keep us warm enough, but smart home technology is here to help. Not only can these new devices heat your home, but they also feature improved efficiency compared to their old-fashioned counterparts. There’s a smarter way to stay warm this winter, and you can upgrade your home today.
