Energy prices seem to increase year on year, and many of us are still feeling the pinch from the
recession. It’s getting more and more costly to
heat our homes during the winter, so it’s time to be a bit savvy and maximise the heating ability of our homes without spending a fortune on gas bills. In our last blog post we started to look at some of the simple ways in which you can keep your home warm this winter; here are a few more top tips…
- Look out for mini-draughts: You may not think it but your letterbox and keyholes could be letting a lot of cold air into your home, and providing a means of escape for warm air. Consider fitting keyhole covers and a letterbox brush to prevent the problem. The latter will make it harder for takeaway leaflets to be shoved through your door, but you’ll be toasty warm and avoiding the temptation of bad food to boot!
- Use draught excluders: It may not seem like much but the small gap between the door and the floor can let a lot of cold air into a room. Long, sausage-shaped draught excluders can be picked up fairly cheaply, or why not make your own by stuffing an old pair of tights with old socks?
- Clear your radiators: Your radiators want to radiate heat throughout your home, but they can’t do their job properly if there’s furniture pushed up against them. Try rearranging your room so that your radiator is out in the open and see what a difference it makes!
- Install a shelf above your radiators: Putting up a shelf above your radiators can help to channel the heat into the room properly. If you have particularly high ceilings then this is a useful tip for preventing the heat from rising too far and being pointless.
- Cover bare floorboards: Your bare floorboards may look great, and they certainly keep your home nice and cool in the summer, but make sure you cover them in the winter. Floors account for up to 10% of heat loss from your home when they’re not insulated. Lay down some rugs over your wooden flooring and you should notice a significant improvement in warmth.