Many of us New Yorkers don't have control over our thermostat during the cold winter months. Some of us are in our apartments sweltering, throwing windows open in January, while others of us walk around our apartments wrapped in blankets all winter. These two extremes of the heating issue in many cases are due to the infrastructure of the old buildings that many New Yorkers reside in, in other cases maybe your landlord is just too cheap to turn the heat up to a livable temperature! Either way, you can make a few home improvements that will keep you toasty, your landlords heating bill down, all the while saving the environment.
Step 1. Remove your air conditioner. This will keep cold air from seeping in.
Step 2. Weatherstrip your doors and windows. (At the very least lock your windows to insure that they are closed tightly.)
Step 3. Move all furniture and rugs away from the heat source. This will allow the warm air to circulate around your apartment or home. (In fact you could make an interesting decorating choice while adding a bit of warmth to your home- hang a carpet on the wall.)
Step 4. If you do have control of your thermostat, set your thermostat 8 degrees lower while you are not at home. Most people have there thermostat set for 70 degrees while they are home, but if you use a blanket, you could comfortably set your thermostat for 68 degrees.
Step 5. Invite a bunch of friends over to watch a movie and insist that you all smush together on your couch. That will insure warmth!
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