5 Changes To Amp Up Your Cosiness At Home That Won’t Break The Bank

A change in the season is the perfect opportunity to mix things up when it comes to the cosiness of your home. We know that it can be hard to reduce your energy use in winter, but keeping your home comfy and welcoming is still achievable with a few tweaks that are good for your long-term budget as well as the planet. Especially if you’re ready for a change and have a few cheeky hacks up your sleeve. 

Taking inspiration from AGL Energy’s drive towards a cleaner energy future, we’ve wrapped up six ways you can make easy and positive changes in the way you craft cosiness in your home. 

Change Up Your Layout

One of the easiest ways to amp up the positive vibes in a room without a single cost to your wallet or the planet (except maybe some elbow grease and the generosity of some friends’ time) is to rearrange your furniture. If you are able and your living room gets direct sun, move your couch to catch the afternoon sun through the windows to rely less on your heating throughout the day, or capitalise on the breeze that sneaks through when the weather warms up again in summer.  

It’s also a great opportunity to see your home with a fresh perspective and open the door to embrace change that can carry through to other aspects of your life. Keen to connect with your roomies and share more meals together at the table instead of in front of the tv? Try switching the orientation or feng shui in your dining area to make it an even more inviting place to hang out. Your home is way more than a house and a little change can go a long way. 

Support Your Heater With Some Textural Touches

If you’re anything like us, your feet will be the first to let you know that winter is coming, and the first time you step into your slippers is the final farewell to the warmer months. But slippers aren’t the only thing you can use to help keep your toes (and your home) cosy. Investing in an eco-friendly rug if you don’t have carpeted floors can do wonders for keeping your home warmer for longer, taking some of the load off your heater. Plus, they look and feel great and can elevate the design of any room. 

Another pop of colour and texture that will help your heater and keep the warmth in for longer is the humble door snake. Easy to make yourself or pick up at a reasonable price, this will stop the warm air escaping under doors, or the cold air sneaking in from outside. 

Add A Little Mood Lighting

An easy way to create a moody vibe within your space is with the right lighting. There are tonnes of awesome energy-efficient smart globes that’ll give you that luxurious atmosphere whilst also reducing your energy consumption. LEDs are a great option. They can be more expensive, but because they use less energy and last longer you’ll end up buying fewer of them, which means less expense in the long run, less bulb waste and less energy consumption. Triple win.

Lean Into Smart Appliances

Smart globes aren’t the only way you can integrate technology into your home to make it more energy efficient. Next time you’re in need of a new appliance, look for one with smart capabilities, like automatic timers or wifi connectivity so you can control them on an app, wherever you are. If you’re keen to get on the smart train with your current appliances, smart plug adapters are a cost-effective way to ensure you can control your energy use without breaking the bank. Knowing you can ensure the lights and heater (or even your hair straightener) are all off even when you’re not at home is a game changer.  

Invest In Some Quality Bed Linen

This is another hack where changing your thinking around long-term investment in quality items can have a positive impact on your overall purchasing habits. Good quality linen can be an investment, but it’s worth it—we spend around a third of our lifespan in bed. Rather than purchasing cheaper threads that can warp and wear after a few months of washes, a high-quality set will last much longer (and make you feel a million bucks every time you climb into bed.) It’s also important to do your research and find out how your set has been produced and what materials are best for you. Materials like linen keep you cool in the heat and act as an insulator in the cold, taking the pressure off your air conditioner to keep you comfortable. There are a few gorgeous Australian-owned brands creating gloriously comfy products so you can support local and avoid global transport which is a bonus too.

Keen to get involved and start making positive changes in your home? AGL Energy is giving one lucky reader the chance to win $2,000 to create change in their own life. Head over here to enter and click here for the full T&Cs.

Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by AGL and proudly endorsed by Urban List. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make Urban List possible. Click here for more information on our editorial policy.

Image credit:  Urban List