The late-September evenings are already turning chilly, but it's still too early to switch the heating on. Knowing how to heat your home without heating comes in handy right now: a few simple habits can make a room feel a couple of degrees warmer without plugging in electric heaters that send your bill soaring. Here's what really works.
When does the heating go on (and why it pays to wait)
In Spanish apartment blocks with central heating, the start date is decided by the residents' association and usually falls between mid-October and early November. With individual heating it's up to you, but every week you hold off shows on your bill. In the meantime, the goal is simple: stop the heat your home builds up during the day from escaping.
9 tricks to heat your home without heating
1. Make the most of the sun: blinds up by day, down at dusk
It's the only free heating we have. During sunny hours, open the curtains and blinds in south- and west-facing rooms; as soon as the sun goes down, lower the blinds and draw the curtains. The pocket of air between blind and glass acts as insulation and cuts heat loss through the windows, which are the weakest point in homes with old window frames.
2. Block the draughts around windows and doors
On a windy day, run your hand along the edges of the windows: wherever you feel cold air, there's a gap. Self-adhesive rubber or foam draught strips are cheap and take five minutes to fit. Under the front door or the doors of the coldest rooms, a draught excluder (or a rolled-up towel) stops the cold air at floor level.
3. Swap summer curtains for thick ones
Thin linen curtains let the cold from the glass straight through. As the season changes, hang thicker or lined curtains, floor-length but without covering the radiator: you'll need it clear in a few weeks. At night, keep them firmly closed.
4. Air the house briefly but properly
Leaving a window tilted open for hours chills the walls and furniture, which then take ages to warm back up. It's better to open the windows wide for 5 to 10 minutes, ideally creating a cross-draught and during the mildest part of the day: the air is refreshed, the moisture escapes and the walls don't have time to cool down.
5. Rugs on cold floors
Ceramic tiles and marble, so common in Spanish homes, are icy in winter. A rug in the places where you spend most time (in front of the sofa, under the desk, next to the bed) insulates you from the floor, and your feet will notice the difference straight away.
6. Close off the rooms you don't use
Storage room, guest room, second bathroom: keep the doors shut and concentrate daily life in just a few rooms. Less air to heat means the warmth from the sun, from people and from appliances stays where you need it.
7. Use the heat from the oven
If you've used the electric oven to roast vegetables or bake a sponge cake, switch it off when you're done and leave the door ajar: the leftover heat warms the kitchen instead of going to waste. Only do this with an electric oven and when there are no children or pets nearby.
8. Layer up the bed
The drop in temperature is most noticeable at night. Put on a mid-season duvet or add a wool blanket, and switch to flannel sheets: they hold heat far better than cotton percale. A hot-water bottle slipped into the bed ten minutes before you turn in does the rest.
9. Dress in layers at home too
Grandma's advice is still the most effective: several thin layers keep you warmer than one thick jumper. Wool socks and closed slippers make a big difference, because when your feet are cold your whole body feels cold. And in the evening on the sofa, a blanket is worth an extra degree.
What to avoid
- Electric heaters running for hours: a 2,000 W heater on full power uses 2 kWh every hour. Use it for short periods, in small rooms, and never plugged into an extension lead or power strip.
- Using the gas hob or oven for heat: they produce carbon monoxide and moisture; they aren't designed for that.
- Drying laundry indoors without ventilation: excess moisture makes a room feel colder and encourages condensation and mould.
- Stoves and fireplaces that haven't been checked: if you use a pellet stove or an open fire, have the flue and draw inspected before lighting them.
Getting your home ready for the heating
These weeks are also the time to prepare your system: bleed any radiators that gurgle or stay cold at the top, move furniture and curtains away from them and, if you have your own boiler, book its service before the rush of call-outs begins. What's more, all these tricks keep working afterwards: a draught-free home that's well closed up at night needs fewer hours of heating all winter long.
To make your home cosier this autumn, discover Velia Select's ideas for the home.