10 savvy ways to keep your house warm without paying more for heating
With the new energy price cap increases in 2022, the majority of us are worried about the rising cost of energy bills. Millions of Brits are looking to heat up their homes for less as winter weather sets in.
So which ways can we heat our home up without spending a fortune on heating? Here are HW Residential Lettings top tips to keeping your home warm this winter.
1. Reshuffle your furniture
The trick is to place major furniture such as your bed and sofa close enough for your radiators to feel the benefits of the heat, but with enough space away from them for the heat to circulate. Obstructing your radiators with large pieces of furniture can impact the temperature of your room. Ensure your radiators are not blocked by furniture so your room is open and easy to heat.
2. Keep curtains open until 3pm
Whilst having your curtains closed at night is recommended to keep the heat in, it is suggested that you keep your curtains open until 3pm during the day. Any sunlight hitting your windows will naturally heat up the room. At this time of year, we are starting to lose around 4pm, so this gives you a good few hours of sunlight during the day before it is time to draw the curtains closed.
3. Draught-proof your windows and doors
Doors and windows are designed to be openable, which may result in draughts, particularly in older buildings with single glazing. There are small things you can do to drought-proof the gaps and create a short-term solution. Draught proofing windows is a simple, DIY task. Analyse where the draughts are coming from around your windows and invest in some window strips/foam.
Another draught-proofing technique used for doors is making use of door draught-excluders. These will prevent any cold from entering through the bottom of your doors.
4. Bleed your radiators
It’s always a good idea to check your radiators regularly. If you find cold spots, you should consider bleeding it, as it signifies that your radiator has trapped air inside it. Trapped air stops the warm water from properly circulating your radiator and results in taking longer to heat your room.
5. Don’t hang your clothes on radiators
Particularly in winter, it can be tempting to dry your clothes on your radiators, however, doing so can prevent the heat from reaching the rest of the room. Not only can it prevent warming up your home, but the condensation from your clothes can cause excess moisture in the room, leading to patches of mould on your walls.
6. Fit a floating shelf above your radiators
Fitting a floating shelf above your radiators will help deflect heat around the room and stop it rising up to the ceiling. By hanging a shelf above a radiator, the shelf acts as a shield, helping the heat to shift outwards from the radiator.
7. Add thermal curtains to your room
Our homes can lose a considerable amount of heat through the windows, and curtains can be a great solution to preventing heat loss. Curtains help with heat retention by limiting the flow of air between the warm and cold areas of the room.
8. Get your boiler serviced
A well maintained central heating system will run more efficiently than a non-maintained boiler. Defective boilers can increase your heating bill as they will need to work harder to bring your home up to the desired temperature. Not only that, a serviced boiler will reduce the chance of a costly emergency repair.
9. Use a terracotta heater or candles
A terracotta heater is a great way to keep warm without using any more energy. They heat up slowly and retain heat well, meaning they can warm up the area surrounding it.
Similarly, although candles cannot heat up a whole room, they can make the surrounding area a little warmer.
10. Layer your floors with rugs
If you have uninsulated floors, then they can cause up to 10% of your home’s heat loss. Adding rugs to tiled or wooden floors can help warm the room up. Wool is a natural insulator, so a rug in this material is ideal.
If you have any more questions regarding letting your property…
We understand that letting your property can seem daunting at first. Feel free to call HW Residential Lettings, and we will happily provide you with free advice you need.
Call us: 01484 680308
Email: Casey@hwlettings.co.uk