Baby its cold outside!
How to keep warm at home whilst keeping the energy bills down.
As the chilly nights draw in now’s the time to dust off those hats, gloves, and scarves. But in a time when energy bills are on the rise how can we comfortably keep toasty at home?
Here’s 5 cost effective tips to help stay warm this Winter whilst keeping your energy bills down.
1. Going Undercover
Low-cost ways to keep warm are often the cosiest!
Think thick blankets, plus plush rugs on tiled and wood flooring. What’s more, chic winter additions like stylish bedspreads and throws can make winter nights so much cosier. Add a toasty onesie, the warmest winter socks you can find, topped with a cup of hot chocolate and you’re all set to snuggle down and catch up on your favourite Netflix shows.
2. Mind the Gap
Creating an effective thermal barrier for your home is key to keeping warm air in. During the winter months the most common sources of heat loss include roof spaces, poorly insulated walls and floors, old garage doors, front doors, and windows. Of course, there are many investment opportunities to future proof your home for our changing climate – both to help keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Lower cost options this winter include installing well-fitted blinds, curtains, and draught excluders to help to fill any gaps where heat can escape. In fact, according to the Energy Saving Trust draught proofing your home could help you save around £60 a year. And this doesn’t stop here for those with open fireplaces, as draught proofing your chimney could save you an extra £390 a year! Just remember to open it back up again for Santa’s visit!
3. Radiate!
It might sound like common sense but making sure sofas and heavy curtains aren’t blocking radiator heat can make a huge difference to the warmth of your home. Also, to ensure your radiators performing at their best, bleeding them will keep your house warmer for longer and help keep bills down. In addition to this, according to comparison site uSwitch, turning your thermostat down to just one degree could save around £80 a year.
4. Give your water tank and pipes a cosy new coat
Its amazing how many homes don’t have simple fixes like hot water cylinder jackets and foam pipe tubing. An extremely cost-effective DIY job like this will significantly reduce the amount of heat they lose helping to increase efficiency and reduce your overall heating costs.
5. A warm welcome for homebuyers
Our last tip is for anyone looking to sell their home over the winter. Whilst it might be tempting to keep the heating off during the day, a cold chilly house doesn’t create the best atmosphere for potential homebuyers. During the winter months, when undertaking viewings on your home we recommend creating a cosy environment by lighting wood burners and fireplaces, keeping the central heating at a comfortable temperature and maybe even lighting candles to create a warm glow. It’s amazing how little things like this can positively affect your sale price, thus helping to save you money in the long run.
If you’re looking to buy or sell, or would like more advice on the market right now, we would love to help!
Contact us on 01992 919007 or