The Cold Winter Days Are Coming, Bringing With Them Heating Costs to Keep Your Home Warm
Across the UK households are seeing energy prices go through the roof this year so we need to utilize some useful tips to reduce the financial concerns. We’ve chosen the following 7 ways to help keep your home warm this winter that should help with the heating bills, too.
Overview
- Windows: draught-proof your windows to retain heat
- Doors: draught-proof your doors to retain heat
- Conservatories: retain heat by switching to a solid tile roof
- Radiators: install radiator foils and move furniture
- Insulation: retain heat with adequate roof and wall insulation
- Flooring: insulate the floors with carpets and rugs to keep warm
- Heating: switch to smart heating to reduce energy costs
1. Draught-Proof Your Windows to Retain Heat
This is a big one, as your home will have at least one window in every room, so lots of opportunities for heat to escape if you’re not careful!
Cracks or gaps between the frame and the wall
Look for any cracks between the frame and the wall and seal them off with a suitable sealant; your local DIY store will have some options on offer.
Wear and tear to the windows
Check the windows themselves for wear and tear, such as small gaps around the opening when closed and the seals around the glass panes. Check the opening and closing mechanisms.
Type of windows
Also, consider new windows. Windows are much more energy efficient when they have multiple panes, as the gap between each pane hugely reduces the amount of heat loss. This is why it’s always worth considering double-glazing as a more energy-efficient option than single-glazed windows.
If you think that your windows let heat escape, it might be worth upgrading to double-glazed or even triple-glazed windows. This is a surefire way to reduce the effort to keep your home warm through winter and save money at the same time.
2. Draught-Proof Your Doors to Retain Heat
Like windows, a lot of heat can be lost through poorly fitted doors and their frameworks. To help keep your home warm here’s what to look out for.
Draughts from doorframes
Check exterior door frames to make sure there are no gaps letting the heat escape. Any gaps greater than a couple of millimetres will need addressing – you should be able to seal them with some silicone caulk as it won’t shrink when exposed to the elements.
Wear and tear to the doors
- As with windows, check that the door seals haven’t perished.
- Check the hinges haven’t dropped, as this could prevent the door from shutting snuggly.
- Check for any obstructions that are stopping creating a small gap.
We also advise that you check your weather stripping. Can you see sunlight from inside your house, around the door frame? If yes, you may need to add new seals and weather stripping to remedy this.
If you’re experiencing a more severe issue with door draughts you may need to seek professional advice about repair and maintenance.
Type of doors
Most modern doors will be pretty good at conserving energy. uPVC, aluminium and wooden doors are all good choices that have long-lasting thermal properties, however, composite doors tend to be the best at keeping your home warm, due to their unique construction.
3. Retain Heat in the Conservatory by Switching to a Solid Tile Roof
There a various tips for keeping the conservatory warm, but the best by far is to switch to a solid tile roof. Not only will this dramatically improve the thermal efficiency of the conservatory, but it will also transform this typically summer space into an all-year-round space, that stays cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
Obviously, replacing the conservatory roof sounds quite drastic, but it could very well be worth it, in the long run, to keep your home warm (and short run for extra living space).
4. Install Radiator Foils and Move Furniture
Consider how effective your radiators are in each room. Where are they situated and is the heat being effectively directed into the room?
When you turn your heating on consider maximising the heat from radiators. To achieve this you can install radiator foils behind each radiator. Radiator foils help keep the rooms warm by reflecting the heat back into the rooms. This hack can cost as little as £7 and is a super easy way to help keep your house warm this winter.
We also recommend:
- regularly bleeding the radiators to keep the as energy efficient as possible
- moving furniture that’s blocking the radiators so the heat can circulate more effectively.
5. Retain Heat With Adequate Roof and Wall Insulation
Installing adequate insulation is one of the crucial ways to help with heating bills this winter.
You can have the best boiler and most efficient heating system in the world, but if your home isn’t adequately insulated, you’ll feel the cold pretty quickly when the heating’s not on.
Cavity wall insulation
Make sure you have adequate insulation between the internal and external walls. Most properties built since the 1990s do, but it’s worth checking as this is a big one as much as 25-30% of heat can escape through cavity walls that haven’t been insulated!
The process is pretty straightforward and can be done in a couple of hours or so, there may even be local council grants to assist with the costs, so check with your local council.
Loft insulation
Like cavity walls, a huge amount of heat is lost through lofts that don’t have insulation. It’s estimated that more than 40% can escape through the roof if the loft’s not properly insulated, which definitely won’t keep your home warm!
Tip: for loft or cavity wall insulation check the government’s website for financial support as part of the Green Home Grant.
6. Insulate the Floors With Carpets and Rugs to Keep Warm
As well as an attractive statement piece for your room, a floor rug can be effective in preventing heat loss through the floor.
A rug will contribute towards underfoot comfort, by both being warmer to the touch and by adding a layer of insulation between you and the colder surfaces such as solid wood, concrete and tiled floors.
When picking an area rug for your room, keep in mind its size and depth. A thicker and larger rug contributes to more protection against cold. A loosely woven rug with more space between the fibres may not offer enough protection, so opt for one with a high stitch count.
7. Switch to Smart Heating to Reduce Energy Costs
Last but not least, we advise shifting to smart heating to keep your home warm more efficiently.
If you have a smart thermostat or a smart AC controller that works with mini-split, windows, or portable units, they can really help with your high heating bills. They allow you to both remotely control your unit utilizing your phone and hold your ideal temperature in your room.
These smart devices may go a long way to address your winter heating woes. With next-gen features, you can ensure you’re not unnecessarily running your heat pump. For example, if you forget to turn your unit off when going out, it may automatically turn off using the geofencing feature that detects an empty house.
Moreover, you can set schedules to avoid running your unit all the time. Plus, you can keep track of your heat pump usage. You can install the mobile app and check your daily, weekly, and monthly usage patterns.
Conclusion
Winter is coming and energy prices and rocketing. Unfortunately, those two factors are out of our control, but hopefully, these tips help keep your home warm and cosy this winter.
In summary, seal any cracks, make sure doors and windows are not draughty and check that the walls and loft are insulated. Check the government’s website for any grants or schemes (such as the Winter Fuel Payment and the Green Homes Grant) to help with heating your home.
If you have any questions regarding glazing solutions, please get in touch and one of the team will talk you through the options. Call or email the glazing team and they’ll help you take the first steps.
Need advice on glazing solutions to help this heating bills?
Talk to one of our glazing experts to find out more about keeping your home warm this winter.
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