Chilling: Hot ideas for cold weather living

Last week, on the coldest night of the new year, my son decided to climb Old Rag Mountain to catch the Shenandoah sunrise. We sent him off with hand warmers and granola bars. Then my husband and I went to bed after edging down the thermostat, pulling up a down comforter and cursing the cold air leaking through our non-replacement windows.

Winter in Washington had arrived.

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As January settles into its frosty routine, Washingtonians enter the cycle of chill in their homes. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling accounts for about 56 percent of the energy use in a typical house.

Most people think they must lower the thermostat to an uncomfortable level and suffer to save energy and money. Others blow their utility budget to stay warm. We have some ideas on another approach: Take action to make daily life in your home more enjoyable while the wind blows, using an army of caulks, space heaters and electric mattress pads.

There are lots of choices. Yes, you could zip on a fleece vest or surround yourself in, gulp, a Snuggie. Or you could stick with natural fibers. When Karl Spilhaus feels a draft in his 1890s house, he puts on a camel hair sweater. “Wools, whether sheep’s wool, cashmere or camel, are the warmest fabrics around,” Spilhaus says. The president of the Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute, Spilhaus is a nationally known textile expert. He says clothing made from the hair of animals that survive on cold mountains traps air and creates an insulating effect. That’s a good thing to remember, whether you’re shivering atop Old Rag or shivering in your uninsulated sunroom.

Plenty has been written about the merits of replacement windows and attic insulation, but there may not be a budget for those this year. Here are other ideas to survive winter weather.

1. Get a smarter thermostat

Most consumers don’t know how to use their programmable thermostat, say the developers of Nest. Nest is the new thermostat that programs itself by learning your preferred temperatures, detecting when you are away and turning the heat to a level you specify. It senses when you return and turns on heating or cooling. Designed by a team led by Tony Fadell, a former Apple senior vice president, the Nest gives thermostats a design upgrade: The elegant round shape and clean lines finally look appropriate for a product that usually hangs on a prominent wall. “If something is ugly,” Fadell says, “it won’t be treated with respect.” $249. www.nest.com.

2. Warm up your robe

Imagine stepping out of a shower on a freezing-cold morning and wrapping yourself in a warm robe. The Brookstone Towel Warmer looks like a tall trash can but acts like a toaster: You can pop in bath sheets, blankets, hats or mittens for a 10-minute toast. “This product evokes a lot of emotion from our customers. Just read the reviews on the Web site,” says David M. Figler, a Brookstone merchandise manager. “I warmed up my wife’s bathrobe this morning; it feels like you just pulled out a towel from the dryer.” $79.95. www.brookstone.com.