If you’re getting your home ready for winter, you might be worried about your heating bill already. A cold house is never nice, but neither is a huge bill for heating. Finding the balance between keeping your home warm without spending a fortune can be difficult, but with these tips, you can do just that.
Image – free for commercial use
Of course, you can’t keep your home warm without your heating, so make sure you get your replacement boilers serviced and handle things like furnace repair before you start trying to implement these other tips.
Use Your Curtains
The sun is free heat, so make the most of it. During the day, open the curtains to let the sun in. When it gets dark, close the curtains so they act as insulation and keep the warmth inside. Make sure you don’t have gaps in your windows and curtains, so the warm air stays in and the cold air stays out. This will also help to reduce problems with condensation.
Use Timers On Your Central Heating
It’s cheaper to program your boiler to turn on a slightly lower temperature, slightly earlier, such as dropping it by a couple of degrees but having it come on half an hour before you get up. This is because the boiler heats at a constant speed no matter what temperature you set it to, so you can give it time to warm the house up for you, rather than blasting it on high when you get up. Don’t leave the heating on low all day. All that does is make you pay for heating that you aren’t using.
Move Your Sofa
It might seem smart to have your sofa in front of the radiator, but all it will do is absorb heat that could be warming the rest of your home. Move it away so that hot air can freely circulate. Move things like curtains and any washing you’re trying to dry. Keep these away from the radiators so you can get the most out of your heating.
Maximise Your Insulation
A lot of heat gets lost through the roof. You can reduce this by installing insulation in the loft. It’s also a good idea to check what insulation is in your walls, as a lot of heat can be lost there too. It’s not as cheap to install as loft insulation, but cavity wall insulation will keep your home warmer and keep your heating bills down. Check with your energy supplier if they have any insulation schemes on offer, as this can get you cheaper or even free installation.
Wrap Your Water Tank
If you have a hot water tank, make sure you have it properly lagged or insulated. This will help to keep the water warmer for longer and lower your heating costs. Insulating an uninsulated water tank can save you a good chunk of money every year. In fact, you can make a saving just by upgrade your tanks old jacket to a new one, if the original has seen better days.