As the weather is on the turn we highly recommend that you consider a few additional ways that you can keep the heat in and the chilly drafts out, especially with the current energy crisis. We have carried out some research and complied a number of small inexpensive steps that can be taken to prevent unwanted draughts.
Get your boiler serviced. It is so important to keep your boiler healthy so it can live up to the expectations and demands expected of it over the winter season. It is so easy to forget this simple task but get your service booked in, do it today. You should really have your boiler serviced every 12 months. A defective boiler can increase your heating bills as it won’t be running efficiently and could mean you end up with costly repairs. Keeping your boiler maintenance up to date is an essential first step to keeping you and your loved ones cosy.
Bleed your radiators. You need to bleed your radiators to ensure no air is trapped which could hinder your heating performance.
Fill the floorboards. Stripped floorboards look amazing but the small gaps really do let the cold air in!! If you fill them, or get someone else to di it for you this can make a big difference. If you don’t have time to fill the gaps then consider investing in a rug, or two to cover the gaps over winter.
Draught proof your doors, key holes, windows and your letter box. For as little as £10 you can pick up a self-adhesive draught excluder from somewhere like Homebase or B&Q that you can fit yourself along the bottom of your door or around your letter box- it really does help. Or you could consider a nice draught excluder to sit at the base of your door, again it makes a difference as it prevents heat escaping and draught coming in! You can actually get key hole covers too- again these are all little gaps that they wind whistles though. The windows might seem like a bigger task but applying self-adhesive foam tape to the window frame will really help and it is a very easy fix.
Layer up. This sounds so obvious, but add a layer to your everyday outfit and you perhaps won’t need the heating running all day. Also, add a layer top of your duvet at night and have an extra blanket on the sofa when relaxing in the evening – these small things can make all the difference. If you have the extra layers at the ready then the go to wont be to just flick on the heating or turn the thermostat up!
Upgrade your thermostat. Has your thermostat been around a while? As this communicates with your boiler to control your heating system it is important to mention that thermostats can degrade over time. This can lead to delays in your boiler switching on, or indeed your home heating up to a much higher temperature than required. Modern day thermostats can be controlled from your mobile to ensure that you can turn the heating on so your home is warm for your arrival home from work/ school/ shopping, but if you decide to go out for a spontaneous supper you don’t waste energy and money heating your home when nobody is there because your heating is set on a timer.
Open, and close your curtains. Close those curtains at night, when the sun sets, but ensure they are open during the day to allow the room to heat up with the natural sunlight.
Furniture placement. Try to place your most used items in the room next to the radiators, like the bed, desk or sofa- without blocking the heat so you stay as warm as possible. Keep these items always from any draughty corners- positioning really does make a huge difference! It is also important to ensure that you don’t block the heat source by having your radiator behind the curtains for example.
Thermal lined curtains. Especially if you have single glazed windows- this really does make a huge difference!!
Install a chimney balloon. If you don’t want to permanently block off a chimney consider using a removable block or a ‘chimney sheep’ as a lot of cold air comes in via the chimney! A chimney draught excluder is a very effective option.
We really hope these tips help to ensure you are prepared for the cold weather this winter.
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