Why is my home so cold in the winter?
Some areas of your home may be difficult to keep warm due to:
- Insufficient insulation – insufficient insulation can cause heat to escape from your home through your roof, walls, basement, foundation or crawlspace. For example, insufficient insulation in your crawlspace or basement can account for 20-30% of a home’s total heat loss.
- Air leakage issues – most homes lose warm air to the outside and let cold air in through gaps and cracks in walls and under and around doors and windows. The amount of air leakage in a home can vary dramatically and may make your home feel drafty and cold.
- Inappropriately sized or inefficient heating system – if interior temperatures are not maintained, your heating system may be too small or inefficient to support your home’s heating demands and keep you comfortable.
- Inadequate heating system ducts – if your home heating ducts are improperly sized, have leaky joints or have been poorly installed – heat may not be distributed effectively through your home. This may be the reason why some rooms in your home are difficult to keep warm.
- Inefficient windows – you may feel cold drafts near your older, single-pane windows. Inefficient windows will result in higher levels of heat loss and contribute to you feeling cold both near your windows, and throughout your home.
Energy efficiency solutions that can help keep your home warm during the winter months include:
- Insulation – contact a registered energy advisor and/or a professional insulation contractor for recommendations on how to best improve the insulation in your home.
- Draftproofing – see our FAQ, Where do I start to reduce drafts and improve my home?
- Inappropriately sized heating system – contact a professional HVAC contractor to discuss options to upgrade your heating system. If your home is under insulated with high levels of air leakage – these are home energy improvements that should be considered prior to installing a new heating system.
- Inadequate heating system ducts – if your heating system ducts are not functioning effectively, speak with a professional HVAC contractor about the options to fix the ducting or switch to a ductless type heating system.
- Replace old windows with efficient models – consider new energy efficient windows to block cold air from entering your home, and heat from escaping. See our FAQ Why is it important to select the right windows for my home?
Ask your energy advisor or contractor about which home energy improvements will be most effective for improving the energy efficiency of your home.
Did you see a building science or energy efficiency term you did not understand? Check out our glossary.