The colder winter weather and darker nights at this time of year often see us dialling the thermostat up a bit more than normal in a bid to keep our homes cosy and warm. Doing so may give us the comfort we are looking for, but it also uses more energy can seriously impact upon the gas bill if we are not careful. There are many ways to stay warm in the house without resorting solely to this measure. Here are a few top tips to keep the cold at bay.
Maintain your gas boiler
Having your gas boiler, central heating system and associated equipment and appliances maintained and serviced regularly will help save energy costs too, especially in the winter, when it can be costly and inconvenient if anything breaks down. If you need a new boiler, make sure the appointment is booked a s quickly as possible to avoid lengthy delays waiting for the installation. This can add costs to the fuel bill if you have to rely on expensive portable gas fires or heating water on the stove more than usual to cook or wash. Once your boiler is installed or repaired, set up a regular service check appointment with a Gas Safe registered company to make sure everything is running as it should. This will help keep the household safer too, as any potential problems will be picked up sooner rather than later.
Mind the gap
Gaps in houses, such as doors with gaps underneath, loose windows, cracked brickwork or open chimneys account for a huge amount of heat loss in a domestic property. Get your home checked out for drafts by a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you find any gaps that can be repaired, don’t delay in arranging for the work to be done. Gaps allow heat to escape, lowering the property’s energy efficiency. Add some insulating tape around the glass next to the window frames to help keep the heat in even more. Hang some heavy, lined curtains across windows and doors to keep out the cold. Place draft excluders by the front and back doors and replace loose letterboxes with tighter versions that won’t let in the draughts. Keep interior doors closed when you are not using rooms to preserve the heat in the rooms that you do use.
Insulation, insulation, insulation
Get an insulation expert to assess your home and fit or replace insulation wherever it is required. Attics are a prime location for this, as are basements and outhouses or garages attached to the main building. You may be eligible for financial help for the government to fund insulation projects – check online for details. The better insulated a property is, the less heat can escape. This is especially important in the winter, when it is vital that the heat stays indoors to keep occupants warm and healthy. It also helps to save energy as the warmed airt is not constantly being replaced by new, colder air from outside.
Fireplace
If you have an open fireplace that you use regularly to heat the home, or to supplement a gas central heating system, make sure it is maintained and checked for damage. This includes keeping the chimney swept to avoid the possibility of fires, as well as cracks or damage that can let in the cold and reduce energy efficiency. If you do not use the fireplace, consider plugging the chimney to stop the cold air coming down into the room. That way, you can keep the aesthetics of the fireplace as a design feature while helping to keep your fuel bills lower.
Foiled again?
This might seem like a very simple idea, but it can be really effective in helping to save energy in the winter. Stick sheets of tin foil to the wall directly behind your radiators to help reflect more of the heat into the room. This helps to direct the heat in a more effective way, allowing less of it to escape into the walls and window cracks. This in turn allows you to turn the thermostat down to compensate. Move furniture away from the radiators too, so heat has more space to circulate around the entire room.