Most changes and innovations that make our lives easier happen so slowly over time that we don´t even notice that they are happening. They just kind of creep up on us over the years little by little.
I first thought about this the other day when I was remembering how, as a kid, I used to try and heat myself up in front of a rather unpredictable coal fire during the winter months. This year has been a pretty cold winter but I have to confess that I´ve felt the cold less than ever before while at home, despite spending less on heating than I have done in other years.
So what innovations are responsible for now making winters more comfortable than in the past while also being more environmentally friendly?
More Energy Efficient Homes
You don´t have to be a dedicated eco warrior to have a more energy efficient home these days. Rattling old windows and doors that let a lot of heat out are now a thing of the past for many families. The history of double glazing might sound like the title of the most boring book in the world but there is no doubt that we have all benefitted from the way that technology has improved since the likes of double glazing has become more popular in recent decades. Home insulation has already become more commonplace than before, helping us to trap even more heat in our houses without making any effort to do so.
More Control of Our Heating
As far as I recall, my family´s first central heating system had a knob on it that basically let you turn it on or off at will. While this seemed like a great innovation at the time, it didn´t exactly let us have a high level of control over the heating in our home. Nowadays you can enjoy a huge amount of control over the temperature of your home. One of the most recent pieces of technology to become available is the sort of mobile app that lets you control your home´s heating from wherever you are. The likes of the Heat App allow you to control the heating in your home like never before and save money, while it is also undeniably cool to be able to use your phone or tablet for this kind of thing.
More General Awareness
This is a difficult point to pin down or get figures on. However, it seems clear from speaking to friends and relatives that more people than ever before are aware of the importance of heating their home well and in a responsible way. Maybe the number of TV shows and documentaries on the subject of global warming and green living have helped make an impact in this respect. Or maybe – hey- all those great blogs about having a green home have helped educate some more people. Whatever it is that has caused it, there seems to have been a definite move towards more people making their home more a suitable for a cosy green winter.