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Keep your house warm this winter

Keep your house warm this winter

The best way to keep your house warm this winter

In most peoples’ opinion we are at the end of summer and now headlong into winter! For most there was not really a lot of summer to talk about and apart from some odd days it all seems to be as usual over very quickly. The leaves falling of the trees and getting blown about by the ever increasing wind definitely is making things colder and unless you live in a completely airtight house you will have probably turned on your heating already. This means that your heating bills are likely to increase which sadly is normal for this time of year. We do not like to be doom and gloom and a bandwagon chaser, as we are always extremely busy throughout the whole year but there is definitely a necessity to check your heating and hot water now before the British weather becomes worse. Yes we have a vested interest and yes we could help but it is a lot easier to sell a boiler or radiator to someone who is not in a rush and makes a rational decision. We are not saying that our customers are irrational all the time but the fear of no hot water or heating is an emergency in most cases. We all take our central heating for granted and it is not nice when a necessary comfort is lost.

What checks will help keep your house warm?

So this is why it is very sensible to get your heating and hot water system checked or serviced. There are some visual checks that you can do mentioned in previous blogs. Checking a boiler before it goes wrong is better than trying to diagnose what is wrong with a dead one. The best way to keep your house warm this winter is to get the heating checked over and make sure all the radiators are getting hot. Insulation has been a topic for many years now but it does still make a massive difference to heat loss and reducing energy bills. The first place to start is to ensure that you have loft insulation installed and that it is in good condition. If your loft insulation is starting to fall apart it is perhaps time to replace it. This can be a DIY job for many people and insulation can be purchased in most DIY shops. Making sure that your windows close properly, window frames are sealed effectively and any draught excluders are fitted, are good ways to keep out the cold air from your home. If you don't currently have double glazing, and can afford the expense then installing it can make a huge difference. prevent damp Using a door draught excluder, or the traditional 'sausage dog' across a door can work well in a cold home, especially if your doors are not the best fit to the floor. If you're looking to maximise the heat generated by your radiators and are looking for a very low-cost solution, you can put sheets of tin foil behind the radiators since this helps reflect heat back into the room and not the walls. Tiny differences such as this can keep your home warm since warm air has less chance of escaping from the room. If you have a chimney and open fire but do not use it, a chimney balloon can be used to seal off the chimney from the outside world. This will also help keep heat in your home. Some people suggest adding foam insulation into the walls of your home. This can be quite cheap to carry out, but is not suitable for all buildings so care should be taken prior to installing any cavity wall insulation to insure that it will work for you. Pipe lagging is another way to ensure that heat is not lost through hot water pipes. You can never completely stop all the sources where heat escapes, but they can be significantly reduced. Again, most of these solutions can be picked up in local DIY stores. It is also worth checking your plan with your energy supplier. Many people keep the same supplier for a number of years, but switching energy supplier can mean a cheaper deal, saving you a lot of money on heating costs. For those on a budget, this can mean more cash available to spend on keeping you warm. From a home improvement perspective all these changes can make a difference to how warm your home feels. Heat loss reduction is effectively free heat! Annoying drafts make you feel cold and reduce the temperature in the room and are easily solved. Find causes of heat loss in the room and select an appropriate draught proofing solution. Since the living room is one of the main rooms that a person spends time in, it makes sense to start here. You can also fit a Nest Learning Thermostat that takes learnings from your habits and the external weather data to make sure you are always at the right temperature. These smart thermostats are great at controlling your heating system and help ensure energy efficiency is maintained.