As we enter October, everyone is bracing for energy bills to sky-rocket, and with temperatures already lowering as we near the winter months, hundreds of thousands of households across the UK are concerned about how they can keep warm this winter but also save money while doing so. It’s more important than ever before for homeowners and tenants to take the right steps to ensure they get the balance right. Here are five useful tips to help you along your way to winter-proofing your home.
Insulate Pipes
Fitting foam tube around the pipes that transfer hot water from your boiler or your hot water cylinder lowers the amount of heat that escapes and helps keep your hot water hotter for longer, and helps prevent the pipes themselves from freezing and potentially stopping your boiler from working during extremely chilly temperatures. Insulated tubing can be found in the majority of DIY stores across the UK and can be easily fitted. It is important you purchase the correct size tubing.
Insulate Walls
Despite this option being more expensive, it will also likely provide you with the warmest home and biggest saving. If your home was built after the 1920’s, it’s likely your external walls have been built with a cavity between them. Cavity wall insulation will provide you with the opportunity to fill in those gaps and as a result will help trap the heat and warmth in. On average, the cost of cavity wall insulation is approximately £200 per two-storey wall, so a detached house might cost £800. If you don’t have a wall cavity, you can insulate the interior or exterior of your wall, but this may cost around £4,000-£15,000 for internal insulation or £7,000-£20,000 for external insulation.
Cut Out Draughts
Draught-proofing areas of your home such as doors and windows will prevent heat from escaping and keep your home warmer during freezing temperatures. British Gas recommends sealing unwanted gaps around them using caulk or DIY insulation kits. Draught-proofing products can be found in most DIY stores and can be fitted quickly and easily. According to the Energy Saving Trust, draught-proofing your windows and doors could save you around £60 a year.
Boost Radiator Effectiveness
There are a couple of ways you could improve the way your radiators perform at home. One way is to bleed your radiator. This means you release the air that has been trapped inside your heating system. Letting the air escape will make your heating more efficient and in turn lower your energy costs. Another way to boost radiator effectiveness is to install reflector panels behind them. These panels will reflect the heat coming from the radiators back into the room and prevent it from escaping through an external wall.
Clean Your Gutters
You may think that this is an arduous job that may not make much of a difference, but it will certainly make sure that your home doesn’t suffer from any water-related damage such as leaks. It is bad enough when there is standing water leaking down walls, but the situation can get worse during the colder months, when the water starts to freeze, creating ice dams that have the potential to move the gutters’ position and create more leaks.
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