Top Tips To Keep Those Heating Costs Down
As the days get colder and the nights longer, many UK households will be cranking up their thermostats, but how can you heat your home without losing your shirt? The penny pinching pros behind NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have advised Brits on how you can keep more cash in your wallet as the winter creeps in. According to the Office for National Statistics, fuelling the home is one of the largest expenses for UK families. But by closely monitoring your heating temperature and installing DIY insulation, this easy guide will have you wealthier and warmer in no time.
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A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk commented: “Many of us have accepted that the high cost of heating our homes is just a fact of life, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are lots of different tricks we can all use to keep more pounds in our pocket and also to enjoy more comfortable homes as winter sets in.”
1 Tin foil behind the radiators
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Cutting sheets of this kitchen essential to fit behind radiators will work wonders for the temperature of a room. The tin foil will use its scientific properties to reflect hot air back into the room, rather than allowing it to drift away through cold walls.
2 Move your furniture
Directly blocking a radiator with something like a bulky sofa or chair will trap the heat and not help anyone get warm this winter.
3 Close your curtains
Why let all that cosy hot air seep through cold glass windows, when you can block its escape by simply drawing your curtains or blinds?
4 Turn that thermostat down
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Every single degree lower could save you several pounds per week. Experts recommend 18C as an ambient level, rather than a costly 20C or 25C.
5 Leave the oven door open after cooking
A box full of toasty 200C air released into the kitchen will be the perfect remedy to stave off the cold in the evening.
6 Buy a rug
It may sound simple, but you won’t be so cold walking around the house if you cover those wooden or laminate floors with an insulating cotton rug.
7 Keep a jumper on
Taking off an extra layer on as soon as you get home from work is literally throwing money away. The more clothes you put on, the less the heating will be on and you’ll be saving cold hard cash in no time.
8 Draft-proof
Plugging all those little holes around the house will make a big difference to your heating bills. Simple gaffer tape can be used to seal cracks in floors and walls, whilst the bottom of doors could be blocked with old clothes, towels or specifically purchased draft-excluders.
9 Forage for firewood
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Any fuel you find in the woods is free and, if your fire burns for longer, the heating will need to be on less and those bills will be smaller.
10 Get a hot water bottle
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Sometimes the old habits are the best; using a traditional hot water bottle in bed could lead to a significant reduction in overnight heating bills.
11 Open doors
If you have a lovely south facing room that gets loads of direct sunlight, it will naturally be the warmest in the house – leaving the door to that room open will allow the heated air to circulate around the house.
12 Close doors
Yes, both. Once the sun has set, close the door to your living room or bedroom to keep all that cosy air trapped inside.
Moira Chisholm
I'm the Health Editor on My Weekly and am always interested to hear what's new in this fascinating field. I also deal with the gardening, shopping pages, general features, our website content and the Ask Helen problem page. I have a special interest in Christmas content because I'm on the team for Your Best Ever Christmas Magazine, too!
