How to Keep Warm at Home during Winter

Panel Heater

It's August and spring is just around the corner. But before winter ends, let me share a few tips on how to keep warm in your flat during the cold months (June to August) here in New Zealand, especially if you'll study in the South Island (Christchurch, Dunedin, etc.).

Make sure your accommodation, whether it be in a house or an apartment building, is properly insulated. Without insulation, whatever contraption you have will not protect you from the elements. I only write this because some old houses around New Zealand were not fitted with insulation when they were constructed. So be careful if you choose to stay in a house. Luckily, most, if not all, apartment buildings here are insulated, so there's nothing to worry about.

The first line of defense would be your electric heater. Most apartment rooms have them installed. If not, then you can buy a portable column heater at Bricoes for around NZ$200.00 (PhP7,000.00). They're very easy to use. Just turn them on and rotate the thermostat to the desired temperature. The only drawback here is that heaters eat a lot of electricity. So if you leave them on the whole night every time, you might get a high electric bill. My suggestion is to turn it on for a short time, just to enough to warm up the room.

Dehumidifier

Although it doesn't snow here in Auckland, it does rain a lot. Now if rain and cold weather come together, well, that spells trouble. The windows frost, the walls dampen, sometimes you'll get molds in the bathroom, and it's hell of a chore to dry your clothes. What you need is a dehumidifier. You turn on that baby and it's going to suck out all the water molecules in the air. They don't usually come with the room. You either borrow from someone (which I did) or buy one. This is more expensive though. It's around NZ$300.00 (PhP10,000.00) brand new at Bricoes. Then again, you can probably get it cheaper second-hand over at TradeMe.

Electric Blanket

Of course I don't need to tell you to invest in thick blankets and comforters. But even then, during winter, your bed could be a very, very cold place to sleep in. That's why you may have to get an electric blanket. When I first heard about this, I thought it was like a blanket--one that covers you as you lie down. When I actually bought one, I found out that wasn't the case. An electric blanket is placed underneath your bed sheet. When you turn it on, it will warm up the bed. Again, since it's electric, you do not want to have it on the whole night, unless you're prepared to pay a high electric bill. That, and may be you don't want to be that guy who got electrocuted in his sleep. My suggestion is to turn this on 30 minutes before you go to sleep, to warm up the bed. Then turn it off just before you hit the sack. An electric blanket is probably the cheapest investment you'd make to stay warm. It just costs NZ$20.00 (PhP 700.00) at Briscoes or Warehouse.

Well, those are my tips. They worked for me this winter--I did not freeze to death. And I hope they will work for you!