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9 money-saving hacks for heating your home as temperatures drop
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During this cold spell, there are plenty of ways you can keep your home warmer for longer, without seeing your heating bills skyrocket.
To help keep the costs down, Polly Shearer, heating expert at online retailer, Tap Warehouse, has pulled together 9 savvy ways to heat your home as temperatures drop in the UK:
1. Avoid drying clothes on radiators
Drying wet clothes on radiators will waste precious energy and heat and can prevent your room from getting warm. People often place wet towels, jeans and bed sheets on radiators in an attempt to dry them quicker when it’s too cold to hang washing outside, but this can actually do more harm than good.
Placing these items on your radiators will block the heat from escaping, therefore preventing your room from heating efficiently. Doing this can also release moisture in the air which can cause mould and mildew which can be harmful.
2. Invest in draft excluders
They may seem like a simple option, but draft excluders are very effective in keeping heat trapped in your rooms! There are plenty of different types of excluders to go under doors, by windows or even up chimneys to keep the heat in.
Many people don’t realise that heat can be lost through chimneys, so investing in good quality draft excluders is a great way to keep your home warm.
3. Introduce soft furnishings into your home
Incorporating soft furnishings and textiles into your home such as sofas, cushions, carpets and curtains will help to conserve heat.
Carpets are much better insulators than wooden flooring so will keep your rooms feeling warmer for longer. For a quick fix that won’t require you to change your whole flooring, you can place large rugs on wooden floors.
Opting for curtains instead of blinds and fabric sofas instead of leather options will also help to trap the heat from your radiators, keeping your room warmer for longer.
4. Move furniture away from radiators
It may seem obvious, but moving your sofas just an inch or two away from your radiators can make a big difference. Many people have their sofas right up next to their radiators, but this can actually stop the heat from escaping from your radiator as it'll just get absorbed into whatever is blocking it.
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5. Keep curtains closed
Closing your curtains will help to keep drafts coming from your windows to a minimum. Floor length curtains are particularly great at keeping the heat in and you should look for good quality thick materials.
However if it’s sunny outside, we recommend opening your curtains to let in the sunlight which will also help to warm up your home.
6. Open the oven after cooking
Once you’ve finished using the oven whilst cooking, it’s a great idea to open up the oven to release the heat into your kitchen. This will make use of otherwise lost heat and make your room feel toasty and warm.
7. Look after your radiators!
If you’ve noticed that your radiators aren’t heating up as efficiently as they should be, or they’re cold at the bottom, it may be time for some radiator TLC.
Bleeding your radiators will ensure all trapped air is removed, which is the main cause of cold spots and slower heat up times. Bleeding and flushing the sludge from your radiators will improve heating performance and ensure that it takes less energy for your heating systems to achieve the desired heat.
Doing this will also save you money on your heating bills as your radiators won’t have to work so hard to get warm!
8. Clean your radiators
Having dirty and dusty radiators can also affect the efficiency and heat output. When your radiators heat the air, that hot air rises, causing cold air to rush to fill the space where the hot air used to be. This pulls in dust, hair and other particles onto the surface of your radiators, leaving them to settle there.
It’s important to clean the inside and outside of your radiators and towel rails to keep them working at their best.
9. Don’t turn your thermostat up too high
Turning up your thermostat really high as soon as you get in the door won’t actually get your room hotter quicker as the thermostat is a limiter, not an accelerator. This will cost you more money as each degree you increase your thermostat by can make a big difference to the cost of your utility bills.
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Content by
Polly Shearer, Heating Expert
