5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME WARMER THIS WINTER

5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME WARMER THIS WINTER

Demands on our home to keep us warm and run on maximum efficiency tend to spike at this time of year - and rightly so considering the temperature.

Ensuring your home can keep you warm throughout Winter whilst keeping your fuel bills as low as possible is a difficult battle.

But by making your home more efficient - as well as warmer - it’s a battle you can win…

Here are 5 ways to make your home warmer this Winter, without breaking the bank:

1. Assess your boiler and balance your heating system

This one you might need to outsource to a professional, but it’s worth it.

Make sure you get a qualified and experienced engineer to service your boiler on an annual basis.

There should be no air in the system (bleed those radiators!) and adding an inhibitor can help break down rust and sludge.

These jobs can be done on a DIY basis.

2. Zone your heating

Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) allow you to heat just the space you want warm. 

This means you can program radiators individually, giving you control over the ones you want to heat and when. 

This is a good way to keep those bedrooms warm overnight whilst keeping the radiators off in all the other rooms of the house.

3. Insulate to accumulate 

Insulating your hot water pipes (or ‘pipe lagging’ as it’s called in the trade) is a way of insulating your hot water pipes to keep the heat in.

It also helps to avoid them bursting or freezing when a cold snap hits!

Foam pipes are available in most DIY shops, are reasonably prices and a quick-fix for even the most inexperienced DIYers.

4. Draughtproofing

All you’ll need for some draughtproofing is a screwdriver and a silicone gun and you’re good to go.

Letterboxes, door frames, windows and loft hatches can all be made much more airtight with draught tape or seals. 

If your house is particularly draughty, buy a relatively cheap smoke pen and wander around the house following the smoke trail. 

Identify the source of the draft and get that rectified!

5. Turn down the dial

This might sound like an obvious one but it really is worth doing.

Turning down the dial even by just one degree can have a huge impact on your yearly bills (around £80!). 

Switching your tumble dryer to an airer or washing line could also save you about £35 per year.