5 ways to stay warm without breaking the budget

In spite of Australia’s temperate climate, many of us still find winter hard to take. From the struggle of getting up on frosty mornings, to the never-ending saga of draft-proofing our homes, the colder months come with all sorts of challenges – and the one thing most of us crave is a nice cosy home.

If you’re equipped with a quality reverse cycle air conditioner, you’ll usually feel a bit less concerned about the potential for icicles to form in your living room. To help you keep your heating costs under control and still stay warm, we’ve pulled together some handy hints on staying snug this winter.

Tip 1. Embrace a few extra layers
Layering clothes is one effective and flexible technique to preserve your precious body heat, even indoors. A few good layers of thermals, a decent pair of slippers or woolly socks or a beanie can definitely help you stay warm. When it comes to bedding, layering will also help as temperature can fluctuate overnight. Flannelette sheets are also a good way to keep yourself feeling cosy and placing rugs on tile or wooden floors also helps.

Tip 2. Use your heating unit strategically
Rather than just cranking up the temperature whenever you feel the urge, try to stick to a fairly consistent temperature. The ideal temperature setting of around 21-22°C during the colder months, enables your unit to work as efficiently as possible. Also, with most Daikin units, you can set a timer so the heat comes on automatically when you really need it to (so you can basically forget about adjusting it).

Tip 3. Seal in the warmth
Windows and doors are the main culprits, consider installing draft excluders like door snakes or new curtains to block out the cold air. We lose up to 40% of our heat through windows, so these seemingly small additions can make a major impact. If you’ll experience higher than usual humidity in rooms due to poor ventilation, it would be clever to get a split system air conditioning unit that offers the latest in cutting edge technology, which means they not only provide efficient cooling and heating for your home, but can humidify, dehumidify, ventilate and purify the air too!

Tip 4. Concentrate your heat
Even in small homes, there tends to be areas we use more than others. Living rooms and bedrooms are often well utilised. With this in mind, focus your heating energy on the areas you spend most time. A great way to do this is with a multi split system, that allows you to control the temperature in the rooms that are being occupied.

Tip 5. Pick the right heating system
The heating system you choose will depend on many things: the space you’re living in, whether you’re renting or an owner, and of course your budget for buying and running the unit. If you’re able to invest and have an air conditioner installed, you’ll find that Daikin’s reverse cycle technology can keep you cosy through the winter at far less expense than a conventional radiator.

Need to heat up the room quickly? Powerful Operation in all of Daikin’s Split Systems can boost the cooling or heating for a 20-minute period, even if the unit is already operating at high capacity.

Another feature to consider when it comes to the heating is vertical air flow. Available in Daikin’s Zena model, during the heating operation, the louvres are directed down the wall and towards the ground for improved temperature distribution and comfort. In this case, it warms the room from the ground up.

All Daikin split system models incorporate a hot start feature. Prior to heating, the indoor unit warms to a pre-set temperature before the fan switches on, ensuring only warm air is discharged thus eliminating cold draughts.

Whether your air conditioning a small or large area, renovating, or building a new home, Daikin's comprehensive range of air conditioners will provide you with the perfect solution for your home and needs.

Need a little guidance on what type of air conditioner is best for your home? Don’t forget you can always get in touch with a Daikin Specialist Dealer, who can come and have a look at your home and make an informed recommendation.