Working from home is a fantastic solution for many startups. Saving on office rental fees, allowing you to set your own hours and having everything you need at your fingertips makes it the ideal solution for many entrepreneurs.

Sure, it comes with its own issues. It can be harder to switch off at the end of the day and you do risk the possibility of becoming cut off from the outside world when you’re keeping long hours. But there’s another issue that home workers should consider and that’s managing your home costs while you work.

No one likes working in a freezing house but it can seem wasteful to put the heating on for just your home office. In this blog, we take a look at what you can do to manage your home working environment in the winter months for maximum efficiency.

Make Your House Efficient

Not just because you work there but because having an energy-efficient home will help drive your bills down across the board. Shut internal doors to stop the heat escaping through cat flaps and ineffective door seals. Consider investing in upgrading your doors and windows but if that’s out of the question then drop into your local DIY shop and find some window and door seals that will help to block out drafts.

Install a smart meter that will help you keep track of your spending and act as a reminder to turn off lights and keep electric showers to a minimum.

If you have oil heating then look for a supplier that will offer you heating oil for your home on a monthly scheme rather than face an annual bill.

See What You Can Claim

If you’ve registered yourself for tax then chances are you’ll be able to claim your heating, electricity and phone bill back for the room you use as your office. Talk to a qualified accountant about how to go about that and you’ll soon get into the habit of setting aside your energy bills.

There may be other savings you can claim so spend an afternoon exploring your options online.

Change Location

It just be that working from a coworking space or a cafe might solve a multitude of issues in one. It will be warmer, you’ll have access to office machinery such as a printer, if coworking, and you’ll have the company of others around you.

Image courtesy of Pexels: CC0 licence

There are bound to be some options in your area so do some calculations to see if it’s worth changing your location at least over the winter months.

Being a home worker or startup business owner is the ultimate way to stay in control but when the weather turns and your home office resembles an igloo, it’s no joke. Stay warm, stay efficient and stay productive with a home that’s functioning at its best or consider a change of location at least until the frosts die away and you can work with the windows open again.