How to Heat Your House Without Electricity

With
the winter months behind us, you might be thinking more about your air
conditioning bill than how to warm your home right now. If you’re living off
the grid, however, keeping warm is a serious need in many parts of the world.
The sun goes down and things get chilly.

Heating
a living space has been a need since long before people had electric heat. In
this article, we’ll explore several ways to sustainably heat a reasonable-sized
living space using natural resources and no power.

Use a Wood Stove or Fireplace

This
method is probably the go-to for most people, and for a good reason. Wood
stoves were once a staple in nearly every home. These days, air quality laws
have made it difficult for people to use wood-burning stoves in many places.
However, in the wilderness, you would be wise to have one available and to take
advantage of it when the mercury drops.

It’s
entirely possible to heat a house built with proper insulation efficiently
using a wood-burning stove. A quality fireplace or wood-burning stove not only
adds a heating element, but it is also an aesthetic component in your home.
Make sure you have an ample supply of dry firewood. Before winter arrives, it’s
a good idea to stock up on an energy-dense wood like madrone, ash, maple or
oak. Depending on your
needs, you
may want to select a hardwood that will burn longer, or a softwood that lights
easier and burns hotter.

A High-Tech Take on Burning Wood

As
an alternative to more traditional wood-burning methods, newer pellet-burning
stoves can heat a
space with a minimum of smoke and soot. Pellets provide consistent, even
heat, and are available in hardwood or softwood varieties in 40-pound bags
designed to provide one 24-hour day of heat. So you’ll not only enjoy an
easy-to-use solution, but you’ll be able to calculate your heating costs with
little effort.

Your Gas Stove or Oven

Have
you ever cooked a meal and realized the temperature in your home increased five
degrees? That’s because your stove or oven puts out a lot of heat, and if you
have gas appliances, you can use these to heat your home without electricity.
Of course, this is not the most efficient way to heat a large home, but in
smaller spaces, it can be reasonably economical. Just make sure your insulation
is well sorted out.

Speaking of Insulation

None
of the methods here will do much if you have a home with no insulation and
single-pane windows. None of the heat you produce will stay in the home without
the help of some well-placed
fiberglass insulation, weatherstripping and quality windows. If you know you have a specific
part of the house that insulates well, you may want to declare that your warm
room and focus your efforts on heating that space to maximize efficiency.

It’s
not all that difficult to keep your home warm without electricity. Mostly,
you’ve just got to be up to the task of chopping some firewood or hauling a few
bags of pellets around. Maybe brush up on your flint-and-tinder skills before
next winter, so you’re not reliant on those expensive firestarters. A quality hoodie
doesn’t hurt either. Keep warm, friends!