Great Green Idea: Green Living: Heat Only the Room You Are In (Cooling too)

Heat Only the Room You Are In (Cooling too)

Once upon a time, energy prices were going through the roof. Today, they're approaching the stratosphere. The cost of using central heating doesn't involve only money; the human cost of climate change is already being felt all around the world.

So what's a good way to "beat the heat"? Use less of it by heating only the room that you are in.

This is especially useful for those who often spend more time in a certain area or room in their house than others. Invest in an energy-efficient space heater, set it up in the room you'll be using, and you will find that you'll save big-time on gas. At the same time, it's good for your ledger and good for Mother Earth. It's much less expensive to heat one room than the entire house, and the environmental benefit is not at all insignificant.

Simpler ways to keep warm are good to use in addition to this, possibly a heated blanket over your lap if you're going to be sitting down, or a heated throw blanket over your chair before you sit. It almost goes without saying, but don't overlook the more traditional, common sense method of always wearing warm clothes: sweaters, shawls or scarves, and thermal socks will also help your body trap heat and stay warm. Sometimes you may also think about wearing a hat indoors, or even gloves to stay warm and cozy. Don't sit still for long periods of time-get up and stretch, and move around. Physical activity will help the circulation of your blood to keep you warmer from the inside out.

The same one-room principle also works in the summer. We're all aware of how turning on the air conditioning shoots the electricity bills way up. Most electricity is generated by burning coal, which releases carbon into the atmosphere. Turning on your air conditioner increases the amount of coal that will be burned up, and as global temperatures rise more people use more and more air conditioning to keep cool, creating an accelerating positive feedback loop. The temperatures already have risen so much in recent years that there are often fatalities in many regions of the world from heatstroke in the summer, when for days or even weeks temperatures remain in the three digits. Using unnecessary energy is detrimental to the environment, and the damage it causes to our world continuously gets worse.

Cooling only one room is possible without using air conditioning. Fans and dehumidifiers can greatly help you cool down an area. (A good tip: the more uncomfortable you are, the closer you should move to the fan!) You should also keep your windows shaded, and turn off lights whenever possible. Light generates a substantial amount of heat.

It might seem like a small and simple thing, but heating and cooling only the space you need to use can save you a surprising amount on your energy bills.

And every little bit we can do to help slow the progress of global warming is important.