Now that Autumn is upon us and the clocks have gone back, you may start to find yourself noticing the temperature in your home more than usual. Here are a few useful tips to help retain the heat through the colder months that won’t cost you a fortune…
Bleed the radiators
Listen out for a ‘clunking’ noise whilst turning them on and check to see if they aren’t heating up to their full capacity, indicating that air has become trapped in your radiators.
Trapped air not only prevents your home from heating up as quickly, your boiler will be working overtime and increasing the monthly cost of your energy bills also.
To bleed a radiator, simply use a radiator bleed key (about £1 in any DIY shop) to open the small valve at the top to release the air until you see a drip of water, then close it up again. You may need some tea towels as the water can spray!
Before starting the process make sure that the central heating system is switched off.
Close the curtains
It’s a known fact that heat escapes from your home through the windows and closing the curtains may seem like an obvious solution to heating your home, but it’s still an effective measure.
Closing your curtains before the darkness hits will maximise your homes capability of retaining heat and act as another layer of insulation. What is more, by opening them during the daytime, sunlight brings a natural and free procedure to heating your home.
Draught-proof your home
Covering up any drafts in your home can be an effective way to save energy and money.
A small investment on draught excluders is a great way to shut out the incoming cold air or escaping heat around windows and doors and can also add a bit of decoration to your home.
Be sure to measure the gap beforehand to ensure the draft excluder is a good fit.
Roll out a rug
Wooden floors may be a breeze to clean and appear stylish but they can also let the heat leak out.
Putting down a warm rug stops the heat from escaping right under your feet and keeps your toes stay toasty. Acting as insulation between the floor and your feet, a rug offers a decorative feel.
It goes without saying that thicker rugs trap heat more effectively, making it an ideal place to sit down whilst cosying up in front of the telly.
Heat your home, not your walls
To retain the heat in your home rather than letting it seep into the walls, get in touch with your DIY side and create some easy-to-make foil insulation.
By placing a reflective foil board behind your radiators the heat will bounce back into the room, causing it to heat up faster and retain more heat.
The foil board can be easily constructed using a piece of card and wrapping a few sheets of tinfoil around it or as an alternative, you can buy specialist radiator foil from hardware shops.