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As winter approaches faster than we’d like, we’ve got dark evenings and frosty mornings to contend with. Keeping warm is high on the list of priorities as the weather cools, and doing so in a way that keeps energy bills down is a route lots of us are looking to go down. Below we’ve assembled some tips and techniques for keeping your home warm this winter.
Deal with draughts
Cold air will find any way in, and one of the keys to keeping your home warm is to stop them in their tracks. Pass your hand over and around areas such as windows, doors, loft hatches and even keyholes to identify where draughts are coming from, and either DIY the seals to fix them, or enlist the help of a professional to keep your home toasty.
The Energy Savings Trust has some other great tips and tricks for draught proofing your home.
Reflect radiator heat
A nifty trick for redirecting otherwise wasted heat from your radiators is to place reflective and heat-safe material, such as foil, behind them. The warmth they give off will then heat your home, not the wall!
Keep your boiler in good condition
If your boiler has ever failed during a cold snap, you’ll understand the importance of keeping it in good working order – it gets pretty chilly very quickly! Hartswood Heating, who handle boiler repairs in Brighton, suggest that early signs of boiler malfunction could be ‘unusual noises, leaking and dripping, an irregular pilot light, or even higher energy bills’.
At the first sign of something not quite right, call a professional to ensure your home stays warm when it counts. Better still, get your boiler serviced regularly.
Insulate your pipes
Heat that escapes from your pipes can compromise the efficiency of your heating and hot water, which is bad news for your heating costs as well as your cosiness! Pop some pipe lagging around heating and hot water pipes to keep the warmth on its way to the right places.
Add rugs to wooden flooring
If you haven’t got cosy carpet, wooden floors can not only make things feel chillier in the winter, they could also be letting heat escape between boards or tiles too. Come the winter time, throw down a couple of rugs to see what difference they can make to the warmth of your home.
Invest in thermal window coverings
Your blinds and curtains have several jobs to do; keep light out, maintain privacy, and ensure your home stays as warm as possible. Thermal blinds and curtains can stop precious heat from escaping through your window glass, also helping to keep out those aforementioned draughts too.
Bleed your radiators
Air can get trapped within your radiators and stop them from performing at their best, leaving you with a cold home. Learning how to ‘bleed’ your radiators (release excess air) can ensure they’re kicking out the right amount of heat. If in doubt, consult YouTube!
Let the sunshine in
If you’re lucky enough to spot the sunshine outside, throw open the curtains and let it naturally warm your home. It’s not a hack you can always count on, but it is one you can utilise when the opportunity strikes.
Get smart with the thermostat
By working with the timing controls on your thermostat, you can heat the house when you need it most, and turn it down if you’re going to be out. In order to really feel the benefit of this, it may be worth upgrading your thermostat to something like Nest.
