If you are not living green, you must have noticed that your electricity bills generally sky-rocket during winter months. If you are not careful with electricity consumption during winter, in the process of feeling cozy and warm, you might end up with very high electricity bills.

Have you ever thought of opting for eco-friendly ways to keep your house warm?

There are some eco-friendly ideas, which are so simple that they will make you wonder, why on earth you have not been using them already.  You get the same warm, toasty feeling and yet, it doesn’t cost you too much. Here are five very simple and effective eco-friendly tips that you could use this winter.

1. Seal those leaky windows- Make use of heavy curtains to keep the heat inside the house. You can also get weather stripping for the windows, so that the heat that is trapped inside the house does not escape. You might be surprised to find how cozy and warm your room can get without any kind of heating.

2. The Energy Star- If you have never paid attention to the energy star ratings, now is a good time to start. Energy star ratings are meant to help the customers understand, how energy efficient the appliances really are. Energy star ratings can be found on various appliances like boilers, heaters, furnaces and heat pumps (used for central heating). So the next time you plan to purchase an appliance, check the energy star rating.

3. Use a smaller heating system- Depending on the size of your home, go for a heating solution that is not too large. Even a single space heater can do wonders. So bear this in mind, while shopping for your heater.

4. Set the thermostat lower- When you are out in the cold and then come inside, you might want to turn up the thermostat of the heater. Resist the temptation, and remember that every degree on your thermostat, accounts for about 10 percent of your energy requirements for heating. Use a jumper or a sweater instead, and switch down your thermostat by a few degrees.

5. Soil, the natural insulator- You stand and walk on a natural insulator all the time, and might not even be aware of it. Soil is a great natural insulator and so, make use of this property to keep your homes warm during winter. Go in for geothermal heat pumps. In a geothermal heating system, liquid is circulated through pipes that run beneath the home through the soil. With time the liquid gets warmer, which is then pumped to a heat condenser. The heat condenser uses the liquid’s heat in running the central heating system of your home.

These are just five simple tips that can help you have an eco-friendly winter. Get creative and you will come up with many more eco-friendly options.