DITCH THE BLINDS FOR CURTAINS
Thin blinds do nothing to help keep the heat in. Instead, switch them out for heavy lined curtains in the autumn. You should also learn to make the most of the heat during the day. When the sun is shining on your home, open the curtains to let the light (and heat) in. At the end of the day, when the sun has gone down, close your curtains to help trap the heat. This works the other way round too – so if you’re too hot in the sweltering temperatures of summer, keep those curtains closed to block out the heat and stay cool indoors.
CONSIDER UPGRADING YOUR SYSTEM
There are many options if you’re looking to upgrade your heating system before the winter but why not go for a cost-effective one? If you choose a solar and renewable energy system this will help you to save money on all your energy bills going forward. Air source heat pumps are also ideal for warming your home all autumn and winter without racking up a huge energy bill.
GET YOUR BOILER SERVICED
You should be getting your boiler serviced once a year. This might sound excessive, but it really can help to cut down on your heating bills. Boiler servicing is about more than just checking that everything is safe; there are small adjustments and calibrations that can help to make your boiler work more effectively. The engineer will also be able to spot faults with your boiler before they become bigger problems – so you won’t be left without hot water on Christmas day!
BLEED YOUR RADIATORS
It’s not the most pleasant job in the world, but bleeding your radiators is one of those things that most adults should know how to do. Bleeding your radiators removes the air that has built up and allows your central heating to work more effectively. This means that you’ll enjoy a warmer home and be able to use the central heating controls more sparingly. If you’ve never had to do this before, you can find out how to bleed a radiator here. If you have your doubts, you can always call in the professionals.
USE RUGS TO COVER WOODEN FLOORS
Hardwood floors are certainly enjoying their moment in the spotlight, but the big disadvantage with hardwood floors is that they often have gaps in the floorboards. If you can feel a draught whistling through your floorboards in winter, then it might be a good idea to put rugs down to cover the cracks. Not only will they help to keep draughts at bay, they’ll also feel nice and cosy underfoot.
INSULATE YOUR PIPES
Another way to cut the cost of your energy bills is to insulate your pipes. If you get a plumbing specialist to add insulation around your hot water pipes this can increase the temperature of the water by reducing heat loss as it travels through your system.
Therefore, you won’t need to set the temperature on the boiler as high, which will lower the amount of energy used – and the cost! An added bonus is that the hot water won’t take as long to come through to your taps so you also won’t be wasting water while waiting for the warm water to appear.
UPGRADE YOUR THERMOSTAT
Did you know that thermostats can become less effective over time? This means that you could be setting your home temperature way higher than it needs to be and completely wasting energy and money. By upgrading your thermostat to a smart thermostat, you’ll be able to control your heating from your phone and be a lot smarter with your heating choices. If you’re going to be late home from work one day, you can save yourself money by pushing your heating schedule back a few hours.
STOP THE DRAUGHTS
Draughts can make your home feel colder than it actually is, and this will lead you to bump up the temperature. Take some time to draught-proof your home with a few simple and inexpensive items. Block draughts around windows and doors with draught excluder strips. I recently blogged about ways to spot if your windows need repairing before the autumn so have a read of that blog post too. If you have an old chimney that is no longer in use, make sure this is properly blocked off. And finally, make sure that you keep doors in your home closed. You can even turn off the heat in rooms where it isn’t needed and then isolate these rooms from the rest of the house.
INSULATE YOUR ROOF
Proper roof insulation will have a considerable impact on the temperature in your home. Loft insulation can save you between £120 and £255 per year in energy costs. It will also make your home feel a lot more comfortable so now’s the time to get up in the attic and insulate it before the autumn. And don’t forget to cover the loft hatch, too. This is a commonly missed step and can lead to all of the heat in your home escaping through one small section. In many ways, you aren’t paying for heating, you are paying for heat loss so, if you can minimise this, then you can minimise your bill.
LOWER YOUR THERMOSTAT
The simplest way to reduce your heating bill is to lower your thermostat. Even if you only take it down by a few degrees, the savings quickly add up. Embrace the concept of Hygge and make a pair of thick socks your best friend this autumn. And in the evening, there’s nothing nicer than snuggling up in cosy blankets on the sofa. Even just cutting the temperature in your home by one degree can save you 1% per 8 hours on your energy bill. If you pair this with a schedule that reflects your daily life, you could stand to save a lot of money by not heating your home when it isn’t needed.
I know it might be hard to imagine a winter chill right now, but the best time to prepare for the colder months is right now. Let me know your own tricks and hacks for keeping cosy in the autumn in the comments below, I’d love to get some more advice on cutting the cost of my heating bill. 🙂
PIN IT FOR LATER
This blog post is an advertisement feature that has been written in collaboration with a sponsor. The pink links in this post indicate a sponsored link 🙂
