Reading Time: 4 minutes

When there is a drop in temperature from the autumn season, most of Britain loves to turn on their central heating and leave it that way from the month of October through until March. This can be an extremely expensive time when it comes to your energy bills, and some may feel that their home still isn’t warm enough! Whether you are attempting to save money on monthly bills or simply want to cosy up this Christmas, you will benefit from taking the steps to improve the thermal quality within your home.

Here are some tips and tricks on how to turn up the heat within your living space and keep the cold out this winter. Ranging from simple touches that are completely free to cost-effective changes within your property.

  1. Make effective interior changes

By moving your living space around you can create a better form of heat circulation in your home. By making changes like moving your sofa away from sitting in front of the radiator, the heat will circulate through the room instead of heating up the back of the sofa. If possible, placing your sofa along a wall that connects the external build of the property, will reduce thermal bridging through the cold wall. Keep the radiators furniture and clothing free to achieve the full benefits.

  1. Put a timer on your central heating

Keeping your heating on a timer means you can have your house starting to warm up ready for when you get out of bed in the morning or when you get home from work whatever time that may be. It will be more cost-effective if the heating is put on a timer at a lower temperature than setting the heat to full blast. This is because a boiler heats up at a constant speed whether you set your thermostat to 20°C or 30°C. Note – the mistake of leaving your heating on low all day will cost you money but provide no benefits.

  1. Wrap up

If you have a hot water tank in your property, make sure it is property insulated or the previous wrap is upgraded if this one is worn out. This could save you up to £150 per year on energy bills. Also wrapping yourself up before reaching for the heater dial, can make lifestyle changes that are cost effective in the long term. So if you’re feelings chilly, get the thick jumpers and fluffy blankets out first!

  1. Utilise the basics!

Make sure you are making the most of the basic products within your house such as the curtains. Opening your curtains in the morning will let the sunlight and heat from the sun into the property, providing a little free all-natural heat which can be taken advantage of until around 3pm. Keep the warm air in and the cold air out of an evening by providing a small layer of insulation and simply closing your curtains to form a draught barrier – the heavier the curtain the better. Rugs can also be used to help with cold wood floors or tiles.

  1. The little touches

Smalls insulating accessories can be applied to your home such as draft excluders. By placing these at the bottom of the doors that connect with the external walls you can prevent heat from escaping and cold air coming in through small gaps around openings. Rubber seals placed around doors and windows can also be extremely effective at keeping the cold out and the heat in at a small price.

  1. Boiler Check

Get in touch with a professional boiler engineer to give your boiler a service and to check it is going to work to its full potential this winter. If your boiler is over 10 years old, it may be time to replace your boiler with a new one. It may also be worth feeling your radiators to check that they can heat to their full potential in case they need to be bled. Radiators that need bleeding may not heat up or may only heat up partially.

  1. Radiator Reflector

Radiator panels can be found for cheap prices and can be used by placing them behind your radiator, the panels will then reflect the heat back into the room instead of allowing the radiator to just heat up the walls and for heat to escape through any thermal bridging in the walls.

  1. Take advantage of steam

Make the most of the heat sources within your home as and when you use them. Such as leaving the door open when showering and allowing the hot steam to travel through the property, turning the oven off but leaving the door open when you’re done to provide some heat in the kitchen. The steam from a pot can also have the same effect.

  1. Insulate your loft

Heat rises, this means your heating can be escaping your home through the roof. Loft insulation is one of the quickest and simplest forms of installing insulation in your home and will help towards saving money on your energy bills. A professional should always be consulted when installing insulation in your property to prevent damage. If your loft is a hard-to-reach area specialist tools can be used.

  1. Other tips and tricks

This includes getting a plug fitted for the chimney to prevent heat escaping. Get a floating shelf fitted about the radiator to prevent the heat going straight up into the property. Ensure it is the correct material to withstand heat, and nothing goes on top of the shelf that can melt. Fill any gaps in the floors board to get more temperature-control within a room. Close the doors! Stop heat circulating around rooms that are not in use.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *