Winter temperatures mean warmer homes, but with the environment to consider, how do we keep the home toasty and well lit while minimising our carbon footprint?

A simple, environmentally friendly way to keep your house warm in winter is to make use of free heat from the sun. "On sunny winter days, open curtains and blinds on windows that receive the sun," suggests Katrina from Sustainability Victoria. "If you’re renovating or building a new home, try to include windows that face north, particularly windows to rooms which are heated."

It’s also important to have a look at your home insulation to ensure that heat loss is kept to a minimum. "Ceiling insulation is one of the best ways to cut energy use in a home," says Katrina. "Check that your ceiling is insulated, because as much as 40 per cent of heat can be lost from an uninsulated ceiling. If choosing new ceiling insulation, look for the highest ‘R’ value. The higher the R value, the less heat that will be lost." Government rebates for installing insulation into uninsulated homes are available in several states.

Make sure you seal off any draughts around the home. Fit draught excluders to the bottom of doors, or if this can’t be done, use an old-fashioned door snake. Close fitting curtains and blinds can reduce heat loss through windows, and draw them on cloudy days and at night. Ensure that you use your heating system as efficiently as possible, too. "Set the heater’s thermostat to between 18 and 20 degrees, as every degree higher will add another 10 per cent to running costs; and close doors between rooms that are being heated and those that aren’t," suggests Katrina. "If buying a new heater, choose one which has the highest energy star rating." Recent developments in double-glazing technology can aid in eliminating heat loss. If you’re not in a position to replace your windows, fitting a plastic film, acrylic, or a second layer of glass to the window can help. In deciding which windows to update first, start with those in heated areas and those that face south.

Naturally, you’ll want to turn lots of lights on to avoid that dark and dismal winter feeling. To lessen the impact on the environment, use compact fluorescent globes, which use about one-fifth of the energy used to produce the same amount of light in an incandescent bulb, and are able to be fitted to most sockets.

Contact a heating specialist in your area to find out how you can maximise heating around the home during winter.