Keeping your home warm this winter

As the chill of winter settles in, we are all looking for ways to stay cosy and keep ourselves and our home warm.

Energy costs are still high, and this winter is likely to add even more of a financial burden for many. When it comes to keeping warm, every little helps.

Read these tried and tested suggestions for quick and effective ways to help keep your house warm. There are several simple things you can do to make your home more energy efficient. This will help keep your house warm in winter and make savings on your heating bills.

Setting your boiler correctly

Most traditional central heating systems are controlled by a boiler. The temperature that you set your boiler at is the temperature it heats the water to (this temperature needs to be set on the boiler itself – not on your thermostat). 

The key thing here is to set the boiler’s temperature no higher than needed – the ideal setting is around 70°C for heating, and 60°C for hot water.

Bleed your radiators

Cold spots caused by trapped air could mean your radiators aren’t working as efficiently as they should be. 

Check that your radiators are heating up properly – if they feel cold to the touch at the top but warm at the bottom, they could need bleeding. But don’t worry, this is an easy task that you can do yourself at home.

Have a look at the furniture in your home and if it’s blocking any of your radiators, try to move your furniture out the way. By keeping your radiators clear of furniture, the heat can easily move around your room and help keep you warm. 

Get your boiler serviced

Boilers, like people, like to be looked after. Give yours an annual boiler service and it will last longer and work more efficiently – if you don't, it could cost you money. Don't forget, it's vital that you use a Gas Safe Registered Engineer.

It's a good idea to check the flow temperature of your boiler too.  By this we mean the temperature of the water leaving your boiler to flow around your home. By simply checking if it’s set too high and reducing the flow temperature to 60^oC or below, you could reduce your gas bills and carbon emissions, without impacting the heat of your home. If you’re unsure how to do this, we suggest asking an engineer to check the flow temperature for you.

Insulate your home / Draught-proof your home

Make sure your home isn’t letting the heat escape. Around 18% of a home’s heat loss escapes through windows, and 3% through doors.

A simple first step to keeping your home warm is to check for any draughts around your home and fix them. Draughts often occur around windows or under doors so check your window seals and external doors to see if any cold air is getting in. Choose a windy day and wet the back of your hand to help feel and locate where any draughts are in your home.

Get an eco-flap, to stop warm air escaping through your letterbox it’s a good idea too.

If you find any draughts, they can easily be banished with low-cost draught excluders – just make sure you don’t block or seal any intentional ventilation around your home such as extractor fans, wall vents or trickle vents around your windows.

Close the curtains

Curtains and thermal blinds can be a great way to help keep your home warm. During the day, keeping them open will let the sun light flood in and heat up your home and in the evenings, closing them will help to keep the cooler outside air from circulating around your room, and will also help keep the warm air inside your home.

You could even opt for thermal curtains to help minimise the cold – these curtains have thicker lining than standard curtains and can help stop window draughts from cooling down the rest of your room. 

Use the oven to heat the house

Once dinner comes out of the oven, we all close the door again. But why waste that heat? Leave the oven door open and let the heat transfer slowly into your kitchen, it'll help keep your house warm while you eat. And, naturally, keep the kids and pets away from the door.

Reflect the heat

Available as a roll, reflective radiator foil can keep your room cosy and reduce your heating costs by reflecting heat back into the room that would otherwise be lost through the wall. It is particularly effective for radiators on cold outside walls.

Lining your loft

If your loft isn’t properly insulated, you could be losing a lot of heat from the top of your home. Whether you choose rolls of loft insulation or insulated loft board, these products are designed to minimise the amount of warm air escaping from your loft. An adequate thickness of loft insulation will also really help. Most homes have some loft insulation, but many don’t have enough. The recommended depth is 270mm.

Warm up with a rug

Did you know that you could be losing heat from right under your feet? Floorboards are a gorgeous feature, but they aren't the best for retaining warmth, especially if they’re old or have gaps in between. Stone, vinyl, or laminate flooring can also get frosty under foot when the winter arrives.

Take the edge off those chilly toes with a new rug, not only will it reduce and cold air creeping in, it’ll add a cosy feel to your room too!

Let the sunshine in during the day

Sunlight is free and natural heat. Keep curtains and blinds open when the sun is out, then close them as the evening sets in to maximise your home’s potential to retain heat. Keeping curtains open when the sun is shining works especially well for north facing windows for morning sun) and west facing for afternoon sun.

Shut the door on unused rooms to prevent cold air moving around the rest of the house

This way, the heat you’ve generated stays contained in a smaller area.

Keep yourself warm

It sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s simpler to warm yourself than the whole house. Furry boots, a fleece or jumper, flannel sheets and fleece bedding, electric or weighted blankets, higher tog duvet, wool pyjamas and a hot water bottle could save you quite an amount in energy bills!

Stay safe with fires, heaters and electric blankets

In severe weather, you may be making use of fires and candles for warmth, ambience, or in the event of power cuts, for light.

To stay safe using fire, you are advised to ensure that you have a smoke alarm on every level of your home and that you test it regularly    

You should also do the following:
Open fires: sweep your chimney, use a fireguard, make sure the fire is put out properly before you leave the room. 
Electric heaters: keep away from curtains and furniture, and do not use for drying clothes. Always unplug when you go out or go to bed.
Electric blankets: do not use a hot water bottle, even if the blanket's switched off. Unplug blankets before you go to bed, unless they have thermostat control for safe all-night use.