Keeping your home warm and cosy during the winter is an essential part of keeping your family healthy and happy. Even though colder months can be challenging, there are several ways to decrease the cost of your utilities and keep your home feeling comfy all year round. Preparing your home for the winter season will not only make it easier to keep it warm, but will also lower those pesky utility bills in the long run. Preparing your home for winter doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. In fact, with these simple tips, you’ll see a significant drop in your heating bill this season and every season that follows. Let’s take a look at how you can get ready for winter so you can stay warm and cosy all year round.
Get Your Boiler Serviced
The boiler is the heart of your home’s heating system. It’s what keeps you warm when there is snow outside and freezing temperatures. When the winter weather hits, it’s important to?keep your boiler in good working order?by having it serviced by a professional. A boiler service is essential to make sure it’s running safely and efficiently, and a certified technician will be able to identify any issues that could arise later on in the year. Your boiler will be put under more strain during the winter months, and it’s important to have it serviced before it gets too cold outside. During colder weather, boilers run more frequently, which means they use more energy. Getting your boiler checked before the colder months hit will ensure it is working properly and will help you avoid any unnecessary breakdowns.
Invest In New Double-Glazed Windows
Over time, windows can become worn out. When it comes to winter, worn-out windows can be problematic because they allow cold air to seep into your home. This can be a costly issue, both in terms of what you pay for your energy bill and the money you have to invest in replacing your windows if damp seeps in around the frames. By assessing how much double-glazing windows cost now before there is significant damage to your home, you could save money. When it comes to replacing your windows, there are plenty of styles, sizes and materials that you can choose, which will impact the double-glazing window prices. This means there is something to suit every home and, more importantly, every budget. When you’re looking at windows cost and wondering how new double glazing will?fit within your budget, check out the advice from the Federation of Master Builders.
Draught-Proof Your Home
When the weather starts to get colder, it’s important to make your home as draught-proof as possible. There are a few ways that you can draught-proof your home. Start by checking and repairing all loose and broken tiles, floorboards, and roof tiles around your home. This will make your home more durable against the harsh weather conditions that come with the colder months. Next, install draft excluders on your external doors. This will prevent cold air from seeping into your home. The more draughts you can stop from coming into your home, the warmer and more comfortable you and your family will be as the weather gets colder.
Leave The Oven Door Open After Cooking
Yes, you read that correctly. Leaving the oven door open after cooking will help to keep your home warm. When you finish cooking, your oven will need time to cool down, and that can cause the fans to work harder inside the appliance. By leaving the door cracked open, you can let the heat from the oven out into your kitchen, which will not only reduce how hard the oven needs to work to cool down but will also add warmth to your home. This trick is especially helpful for open-plan homes where the kitchen is part of the living room.?
Close All The Internal Doors
It might sound strange, but closing all the internal doors around your home can help to keep it warm and reduce your heating bill. It’s important to remember that warm air rises and will usually travel to the highest point in your home. With all the internal doors open, the warm air will rise to the top floor, where it will escape through the ceiling and head outside. Closing all the internal doors will trap the warm air in the lower level of your home, keeping it warm and reducing the amount of money you spend on your heating bill.
Use Heavyweight Curtains
Curtains are a great way to add a bit of style to any room in your home, but you can also choose to use heavy fabrics that will help to insulate your home. Insulating your home with heavier curtains will not only help to keep your home warm but will reduce the amount of noise inside your home. Noisy streets and neighbours can be quite a nuisance. Heavy curtains can help to drown out this unwanted noise and keep your home quiet, which is especially important during the winter months when you will likely be spending more time indoors.
Insulate Your Loft
Your loft is an ideal location to make use of insulation, which can reduce the amount of heat escaping from your home. Insulation is a relatively inexpensive product that you can install yourself, but to ensure the best results having a professional put your insulation is better.
Draught-Proof Loft Hatches
Loft hatches are often used to access your loft, but they can also be a source of unwanted heat loss. You can easily prevent heat from escaping through your loft hatch by draught-proofing it. This can be done by fixing insulation to the other side of the hatch to ensure that no heat can escape. It’s important to keep these areas of your home properly insulated, as they’re more susceptible to letting in draughts than the rest of your home. If you’re unsure how to properly seal your hatch, it’s best to consult a professional.
Put Down Some Rugs
Rugs are a great way to trap in warmth and make your home look cosier too. By placing rugs in high-traffic areas of your home, such as near your front door, you’ll be able to trap the warmth in your home and make it feel significantly warmer. Rugs are also great in rooms with tiled or wooden floors, as they will help reduce how cold those rooms feel.
Utilise Blankets And Layers
When it comes to getting cosy,?blankets are an essential part of any winter routine. The thing to remember when it comes to blankets is to utilise multiple layers. Using several thin blankets will not only help to trap in more warmth but will also make it easier to remove them if you’re feeling too hot. It’s important to remember that every person is different, so there’s no definitive blanket rule that works for everyone. If you’re worried about your house being too cold, it’s always a good idea to layer blankets.
Final Thoughts
Winter can be a challenging season, especially if you are not prepared for it. If you prepare your home for winter, you will see not only a significant drop in your heating bill this season but also every season after that. These tips are easy to apply and will help you save a significant amount of money each month on your utility bills.
