We’ve had some pretty cold snaps around the country this winter, with snow prominent in some areas! It’s tempting to turn up the thermostat to increase the temperature but that can cost you extra money in the long run. A review of your insulation and some simple changes to your habits can work just as well in making your home more energy efficient. Here are our top tips to keeping warm.
1.Open/Close the Curtains
Opening the curtains during the day rather than leaving them closed can actually make a big difference to the temperature of your home. Even in the winter, the sun can provide some warmth and raise the temperature by a few degrees. Closing the curtains at night, of course, makes sense to keep the heat in. You can get thicker, more insulating drapes that will help keep more of the warmth in your home – it’s worth investing in a set for areas like the living room and bedroom.
2.Check Your Insulation
Insulation sits up in the loft and we tend to forget about it but you should check it over once in a while to be sure. The insulation needs to be thick enough to keep the warmth in but can often get flattened down if you use this area a lot and have people coming and going. An extra roll of insulation will add a good few degrees during those cold snaps.
3.Service Your Central Heating
We’re all guilty of putting off that annual boiler service but it is vital to keep your boiler working properly. If you haven’t had one for a while, a service can make your system work more efficiently as well as ensuring those radiators are giving out enough heat when it’s most cold. A service will also give your heating engineers an opportunity to diagnose faults in advance of becoming serious issues.
4.Consider a Smart Meter
Smart meters help you control your heating to a much higher degree. They can also help you save money in the long run by making sure your house is more energy efficient. If you don’t want to get a smart meter, you can consider turning down your thermostat by 1 degree – it won’t make much difference to the overall feeling of warmth and will save you extra on your utility bills.
5.Keep Your Radiators Clear and Use Foil
Many people lodge furniture like a sofa against their radiator but that can mean heat isn’t getting out. If you are currently doing this, move the couch forward at least a bit to allow the warmth to permeate your room. You can also try placing reflective foil behind the radiator so more heat goes into the room rather than being absorbed into the wall.
6,Install Thermostatic Valves on Your Radiators
Fitting thermostatic valves onto your radiators is a great way to control the heat in your home for specific rooms. That means you can keep areas like the bedroom at a lower temperature than say your living room and save money while still staying warm in the most important locations.
7.Bleed Your Radiators
If a radiator isn’t heating properly (for example it appears colder at the top than the bottom) don’t worry. All you need to do is bleed it and let out some of the air so the radiator fills up properly with hot water. After, make sure to check your boiler pressure as the boiler might stop working if the pressure falls bellow a certain level.
This is something that happens particularly with older systems but is an easy problem to solve.
8.Spot and Seal the Draughts
Older houses, in particular, have draughts in the strangest of places. That might mean the bottom of your living room door, areas around the seals of front doors or perhaps windows. In some areas, even the floor area can be a source of draughts. You can add extra sealing to these areas and buy draught excluders for doors or get a cosy snug rug for the floor.
If you’d like to find out more about smart heating options or discuss central heating for your house please feel free to contact us 0117 924 7200, email us, or request a call back.
Unit 2 Septimus Buildings 
