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How to Keep Warm in Winter (Make the most of the sun. Open the curtains on…
How to Keep Warm in Winter
Make the most of the sun. Open the curtains on south facing windows in the day and shut the curtains as soon as there is no longer sun on that window. This acts as another layer of insulation and keeps rooms warm. If you have blinds, it could be worth investing in some curtains for the winter months to give you that extra insulation.
http://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285
Check the house for any leaks or gaps in windows or fascias. This will help warm air stay inside and cold air stay outside which will also help reduce condensation and humidity in the home.
http://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285
The Centre for Sustainable Energy advises that programming your boiler to turn the heating on 30 minutes before you get up in the morning but at a lower temperature to normal is cheaper than turning it on as you need it at a hotter temperature. A boiler heats up at a constant speed whether you set the thermostat to 20 or 30 degrees. Just don't leave the heating on all day because you won't need it.
http://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285
Who has a sofa in front of the radiator? Lovely and warm isn't it? Well that's absorbing the heat that could be being moved around the home. By moving your sofa away from the radiator the hot air can move freely. Same goes for any soft furnishings or clothes drying so make sure you keep your radiators clear to get the most out of them.
Around 25% of heat in the home is lost through the roof which can be reduced by installing just 25cm of insulation through the loft. A third of the heat in an uninsulated home is lost through the walls so it is worth checking this at the same time. Cavity wall insulation could save you up to £160 a year in heating bills. Check with your energy supplier and local authority to see if there are any insulation schemes running.
http://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285
If you have a water tank make sure it is insulated. The Energy Community has said that insulating an uninsulated water tank could save up to £150 a year but just upgrading what is currently on the tank will help.
http://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285
The WHO recommended a minimum temperature of 21 degrees in the living room but Public Health England put this to 18 degrees in 2014. Research shows that turning your thermostat down by 1 degree could cut your heating bill by up to 10%.
http://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285
DIY draught proofing can have surprisingly effective results. The Energy Saving Trust estimates it can save £25 a year. Self adhesive rubber seals around doors and windows and door draught excluders are cheap and easy to install.
http://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285
Radiator Panels. These are cheap and easy to install and make sure the heat from radiators warm your room rather than the walls. They will work to reflect heat back into the room from off the walls. You could even make them yourself using a sheet of card and tinfoil placed behind the radiator.
http://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285
Insulate any exposed pipes with foam tubing to keep the water inside warmer for longer. It makes heating and hot water much more efficient. You can buy this from any good DIY store and fit it without any tools! You can keep any extra insulative piping and use it is a door draught excluder. Cit a section to fit the bottom of your door and slide it on to create a seal against the floor. You could use it for any cracks in walls and at the back of cupboards.
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/the-source/your-home/improving/winter-warm-home-tips
Check your radiator is receiving ample heat at the top. If they aren't then you should probably bleed the radiator. This releases the trapped air which is stopping hot water from rising. Use a radiator bleed key to open the valve at the top. The air hissing is a good thing, but as soon as you see a drip of water close it up again.
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/the-source/your-home/improving/winter-warm-home-tips
Having a sunday roast? Cooking a lasagne? Roasting some vegetables? Once your dinner come out that oven why not keep the oven door open to make the use of the heat your oven has generated? Let that heat transfer slowly into the kitchen - it'll help keep your house warm as you eat the fruits of your labour. But for safety reasons, ensure children are not in the kitchen when doing this.
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/the-source/your-home/improving/winter-warm-home-tips
Wooden floors? Look lovely, but they waste a lot of heat from right under your feet. Put a warm rug down. It will cover the gaps in the wood and keep your feet a little warmer - especially on those cold mornings getting out of bed.
Insulate outlets on exterior walls. On a cold windy day, hold the back of your hand to an electrical outlet installed on a wall that has windows. If you feel any cold air you know you are losing heat and money. You can use socket sealers or outlet insulating kits. This can be installed under the faceplate and will add up in savings.
https://fitsmallbusiness.com/ways-to-keep-your-house-warm/
It seems counter-intuitive but you can turn on a fan. This will recirculate warm air as it rises to the ceiling. Put it on the lowest setting in a clockwise direction. This will push warm air back down, keeping your room warm.
https://fitsmallbusiness.com/ways-to-keep-your-house-warm/
This one depends on your personal preferences in terms of comfortable temperatures. You can use a humidifier. The more moisture there is in the air the warmer it feels. By running a humidifier you can raise the humidity of the air to warm it. You won't have to raise the thermostat as high and this can save you a lot on your heating bill each month.
https://fitsmallbusiness.com/ways-to-keep-your-house-warm/
Plant an evergreen tree on the northern side of the house. It can prevent some of the cold winds coming in. Expose the southern side of the house to as much sun as possible. This links to our summer post we did about blocking the southern side of a property in summer. Depending on what shrub you choose the ideal one would be one that is bushy and leafy in summer to stop a room overheating and one that is bare in winter to allow as much sun in as possible.
https://fitsmallbusiness.com/ways-to-keep-your-house-warm/
This is one for homeowners of listed properties who are unable to double glaze their windows. Double glazing can also be quite expensive. You can fake it however as there is a film you can apply to single glazed windows that can have the same effect as double glazing. You won't be able to open windows without breaking the seal but a pack to cover a medium sized house is around £15 so you could easily replace it. Or self adhesive foam strips can help seal any gaps in the edges of windows. Metal or plastic strips with brushes or wipers cost a bit more but will last longer as a result.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24757144
Have an unused decorate fireplace? Consider a chimney balloon. A lot of heat can be lost through an open fireplace but a chimney balloon can be placed in a chimney hole and inflated so it shuts out incoming cold air or escaping heat. Just make sure you remove it before using the fire! There are also woolen chimney insulators you can use but these still need removing before putting the fireplace into use.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24757144
Brush your letterbox. Not literally, but you can get letterboxes with a brush that can prevent breezes getting through the house. For akeyhole you could use a keyhole cover that slips over the top. You can also fit cat or dog flaps with woolen insulation or pieces of blanket to stop small draughts getting through here.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24757144
Got a radiator under a window? Yes, lots of people do it but it doesn't make any sense. The window is a direct draw for all that hot air the radiator has conjured up. To stop it rising and being lost through the window you can put a shelf above the radiator.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24757144
Got a loft space accessed by a loft hatch? Is it an old timber loft hatch which is uninsulated? Same here! You can insulate it yourself using self-adhesive strips. While up in the loft, why not check your loft insulation? Also to do with the roof, check your property for any loose or damaged roof tiles and get those ones replaced.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24757144
40% of people avoid switching on the heating during cold spells due to fears about energy bills. A third report they can't make their home as warm as they would like. 65% of people report pulling on a jumper to stay warm indoors, 42% wrap up in a blanket but only 15% draught proof their homes.
https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/blog/shivering-winter-wonderland-7-top-tips-make-your-home-warmer
*Rather than a house thermostat why not invest in room thermostats to maintain heat in rooms where you need it. Great for little savings such as:
If someone is having a shower in the bathroom but the heating is on in the rest of the home, you don't really need the heating on in here, the hot water is doing it for you - you can turn the thermostat down.
Nobody staying in the spare room? Turn the thermostat down and shut the door to this room. This will keep this room cooler while letting less air escape from the room in to the rest of the home that would create a draught.
Out at work all day? Turn your thermostats down as you go out then turn your room thermostats on individually about 30 mins before you're due home and do it all from work on a handy app. Even better if you know what rooms you're going to be using.
Not using the rooms upstairs until you go to bed? Turn the thermostats on upstairs about 30 mins before you go to bed and turn the downstairs thermostats lower when you get up there. Then you're not wasting energy heating half the home when you're not even using that half of the home.*