I am the last person who knows anything about Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese practice of arranging your living space to achieve harmony. My living space is usually filled with bright colored plastic things that beep and buzz, misplaced sippy cups, and little people shoes that always wind up under the couch. Pressed for storage, the under the bed space is a sea of stockpile, organized of course, but still a sea.
Our furniture is arranged in such a way that allows the exersaucer to fit in the living room and the baby swing to fit in the office, where I work at home. Lately, we have been having our meals on our game table instead of in the dining room.
There is one area for us where furniture arrangement is very important. That has to do with saving money, or specifically heating costs. Did you know that where your furniture is placed can have an impact on your heating bill?
According to Lou Manfredini’s book, Lou Manfredini’s House Smarts, poor furniture placement can decrease your home’s heating system efficiency and make it work harder and longer. How? By covering up the places where heat enters your rooms. For example, placing large pieces of furniture, such as sofas, in front of radiators or right on top of vents can trap that heat before it can warm your room. Your thermostat still tells your furnace that the room is too cold, and the furnace tries to work harder to bring your home up to temperature.
Another common heat waster are curtains that fully cover radiators. They keep all of that nice heat trapped between the radiator and the window, so where does the heat go? Right outside through your glass instead of in your room.
Clutter is a big problem when it comes to blocking a heating system. Are their laundry baskets in your bedroom on top of vents or in front of radiators? Sure they are just there temporarily, but meanwhile you are impacting your home’s ability to stay warm.
Why not take a look around your home today and see what you can move, rearrange or de-clutter to make your heating system more efficient. Think of it as earning money right in your home.
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