While you may be tempted to crank up the heating in your home, this can be costly, especially with months of chill on the way
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With December well and truly underway now, temperatures across the UK are dropping fairly rapidly.
While you may be tempted to crank up the heating in your home, this can be costly, especially with months of chill on the way.
Thankfully there are several other ways to warm your house, without touching the thermostat.
David Gibson, Operations Director at national property services business Liberty, has shared his top home heating hacks to minimise costs.
From installing radiator foil to switching suppliers, here are some tactics to make your home warmer this winter.
1. Reflect the radiance
About a third of heat escapes through cavity walls, according to the Energy Saving Trust. This is not only wasteful, but can also be extremely costly.
Mr Gibson said: “Making sure your walls are well insulated could save you £100’s on you energy bills.
“However even if you already have cavity wall insulation, radiator foil is a great, cost-effective and easily installed DIY heat reflector.
“When placing radiator foil behind radiators, ensure the shiny side is facing towards the room to reflect heat escaping behind radiators back into the room. This means rooms warm up quicker and retain heat for longer.”
2. Plug the gaps
Insulation can make a huge difference in heating your house properly – particularly in the roof.
Mr Gibson said: “Contrary to popular belief, insulating your home doesn’t have to be expensive.
“Low cost draft excluders can work wonders at preventing drafts from doors or cracks in floors and walls, while insulation tape for windows can be bought for less than £10.
“While insulating a loft is a bit more involved and costly, it is highly cost-effective.”
3. Switch suppliers
If your heating bills are through the roof, you might want to consider switching suppliers.
Mr Gibson said: “Most will automatically register you to the more expensive ‘standard’ tariffs. By simply switching to a cheaper tariff with your existing provider, you could save hundreds of pounds.
“However, it’s worth shopping around to get the best deal. Industry regulator Ofgem provides a list of accredited price comparison websites.”
4. Install sustainable energy systems
Installing sustainable energy systems like a heat pump can drastically cut both your bill, and your carbon emissions.
Mr Gibson explained: “By transferring heat from an external source such as the air or ground, heat pumps reduce energy use and maximise efficiency, meaning they are typically cheaper and ‘greener’ to run than off-grid heating systems. The electrical costs of running the heat pumps can also be offset by using other renewable technologies such as solar photovoltaic panels [often called solar PV] and battery storage.
“They can be initially expensive to install, but systems typically pay for themselves over several years in bill savings. What’s more, government funding is available to help with installation costs.”
Sourse: www.mirror.co.uk
