Frugal people share the 19 ways they save money on heating their homes during winter

Getting warm and cozy indoors is one of the joys of the winter season. But the cost of heating your home or apartment can quickly get expensive. According to a December 2025 report by the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA), heating costs are expected to rise 9.2% the next three months, and will bring the average cost to heat a home in the United States to $995.

Cutting heating costs can save you a lot of money. And frugal people have found brilliant ways to keep their homes heated without paying extravagant heating bills.

On Reddit, frugal people shared their advice for how to lower heating bills without being miserably cold. From better insulation to heat sources, these are 19 of their best tips for cutting heating costs.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Small degree changes can do a lot as well, e.g. going down to 68°F." - ShiroxReddit

"The least expected source of draft for me were electrical outlets. I'd done the work to use shrink wrap over windows etc etc. And then I'm just there in bed one night, and I could feel the most annoying draft blowing on my face... I went crazy trying to find it. The tiniest little gaps can have huge consequences. Recommend a temperature gun to ID where you're losing heat. It'll help triage problems and keep you from needlessly doing things that aren't helping! My library lends out thermal cameras and other things that lets you see where your energy and heat leaks are. Y'all might want to check your local library. :)" - Taco_Bhel, iBrarian

"Heat your body, not the airspace. Put on layers, wear socks and slippers. Cover drafty windows with plastic sheeting. Drop your thermostat down to 65° (or lower). Use a heated throw blanket for sitting around when necessary but don’t run it all night long. Get a down comforter for your bed that will retain your body heat." - anythingaustin

"Learn to live with 68, then 66, then 64. 62 isn't worth it imo, for both comfort and pipe freeze possibilities." - antsam9

"Turns out most of my misery was tiny gaps. The worst offender was the front door. At night, with the lights off, I could see a faint line of light at the bottom. I added a simple door sweep, and for the sides I used adhesive weatherstripping (I had to redo one section bc I placed it wrong the first time, classic). I also made a dumb little “draft sausage” with an old towel and some rice in a sock for the bedroom door, which looks kinda goofy but works. For the living room window, I didn’t do anything fancy, just checked the latch, tightened a loose screw, and put a thin foam strip where the sash meets. The weirdly satisfying part was re-testing after each thing: you hold your hand near the edge and it’s like… oh, THAT’S what normal feels like. No more cold ghost touching your ankles. I’m not pretending my place is suddenly a cozy cabin, but my sleep has been noticeably better because I’m not waking up at 3am feeling that sharp chill from the window side. Also my heat feels more “steady”, not blasting then disappearing. If you’re in the same boat, I’d honestly start with the unsexy stuff before buying another gadget: check doors, check window latches, look for light lines, feel for airflow with your hand. Just do it safely and don’t block vents or anything. I wish I’d done this like 3 winters ago, instead of rage-adjusting a thermostat and acting surprised when nothing changed lol." - ventuscalmlight

"Electric vest or pad that can run off of USB that you can change the battery is another option." - antsam9

"Seal the windows with the window film. It might be too cold now for it to adhere properly without you turning the heat to 70 and using a hair dryer to warm up the surface. Seal the cracks first with molding draft clay." - antsam9

"Increase thermal blocking capacity by reinforcing window curtains with an extra layer of felt blanket. I bought well used old comforters that were light weight on the biggest windows (damn Chicago bay windows)." - antsam9

"Save the heat that you generate. If you run a heater (expensive) run it only in the smallest room. If you run the dish washer, don't set it to dry, let the door open so it can humidity the room and give some warmth after washing." - antsam9

"Humid air holds onto heat better, so get a cold air humidifier (hot ones harbor more bacteria)." - antsam9

"Invest in wool socks and a alpaca fur beanie and nice gloves. You'll be wearing these often. Inside." - antsam9

"I got a thermal camera for my phone, cheap used off of Facebook market and looked for cold spots and used spray foam insulation to increased the insulation. If I couldn't, I would strategically place carpet, blankets, furniture, etc to prevent heat leaking." - antsam9

"Drop the temp and layer up like people are saying. Also I just ordered the clear plastic window insulation kits off amazon for my own house. 'Duck brand'. Super useful and efficient. Just install over windows and it locks in a ton of heat." - SectorZed

"My long gone grandma always had an old bleach bottle filled with hot water. She dragged it around throughout the day and jammed it in her bed to warm it up too. I have done this for our kids at our chilly lake cottage. Works like a charm on a cold rainy day." - ketoLifestyleRecipes

"You might want to get a ceiling fan as well. It will distribute heat and cold more evenly and reduce the influence of warm and cold spots." - cosmoscrazy

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"It all starts with insulation and humidity. If its humid - get a dehumidifier, dry air is much easier (cheaper) to warm up. Make sure to always use your range hood when cooking and extractor fan when in the bathroom. Slap some of that 3M plastic film on your windows, put up some thick curtains if you can. Your windows are gonna be losing most heat (either via air leaks or just heat exchange due to a much lower R value than a wall). Also chuck some door snakes down on your exterior facing doors (balcony door, and maybe front door unless your building has a heated hallway)." - dinkygoat

"Lots of people recommending an electric blanket but I prefer an electric mattress pad with a good quality comforter. With this combo you won't run into the situation of overheating and waking up sweaty during the night (which happened all the time for me with an electric blanket). Crank up the mattress pad before you go to bed, then once you're in, you turn it down to low, and the comforter will retain the heat instead of generating it." - monsterlynn

"My utility company has a free 'Focus on Energy Comfort Pack'. It has window film, a door sweep, weather stripping, and little insulated pads to go behind outlet covers on external walls. It also had a plug in LED night light and a hot water heater temperature gauge. Super frugal as it was all free. The main window I wanted to cover was the kitchen window because former owner "bumped out" the kitchen a couple feet to the edge of the roof line and that window is so drafty. I made a huge difference but took up most of the window film. I like being able to open some other windows occasionally even in winter (though not in our current single digits) so there is only one other I've considered covering." - wi_voter

"I used the leg from an old pair of jeans and two pieces of pool noodle. Made a cylinder that fits the two pool noodle pieces, then just slips under the bedroom door. Basically a draft stopper on either side. Works great, had it for a few years now. I like a cold bedroom, with no heat source in the room, my bedroom is at least 10°F colder than the house without causing drafts." - __wildwing__