Keeping a house warm in the winter can be difficult for UK homeowners, especially those who are on a budget. It’s important during any time of year to keep a watchful eye on how much energy you are consuming, but especially as the days get colder and you start to rely more and more on your central heating. Since heating your home will likely account for over 70% of your household energy consumption, these tips from us on how to keep your home warm this winter will surely be welcome!
1. Get a smart meter for your boiler and use a timer
By far the best and most efficient way to make sure you’re keeping your house warm this winter while also saving money is to get a smart meter, and on top of that, use a central heating timer. A smart meter can provide you with complete visibility of the energy usage in your home, and you can use this data to inform how you time your central heating (whether you choose to do this automatically or manually).
Smart meters are designed to help you save money on your energy bills, so we recommend installing one sooner rather than later to encourage good heating habits for the future. Free smart meters are available with some of our boilers.
2. Maximise insulation and use curtains
You will find that most homes are properly insulated, but if you’re finding that heat is escaping from your home quicker than it should be, it might be time for an investment into better insulation. While you’re waiting, try keeping your house warm this winter by making sure your curtains are closed when light isn’t coming in through the window.
3. Be creative with heating techniques
Most of us are lucky in the sense that heating is readily available, but that shouldn’t stop us from using other heating methods every once in a while. Tricks like leaving your oven door open after it’s been cooking something or simply wrapping up warm can make all the difference and even save you a bit of money. Having more soft furnishings in the house can also help to keep the heat in, as can draft excluders.
You may also want to try rearranging your living room so that your sofa is not blocking your radiator (or indeed other rooms in which radiators are behind furniture). This will allow the heat to circulate more evenly around the room.
4. Get a more efficient boiler
Of course, you won’t be able to heat your home in winter without an efficient boiler system in place. If you have had your boiler for a number of years and it is often in need of repairs, it may be time to bite the bullet and get a new one. Not only will you have fewer issues to deal with, but you will likely find that a newer model will heat your home quicker and more efficiently, keeping you warm throughout the winter months and saving you money, too.
If you’re in the market for a new boiler, get in touch with our engineers at Bbright and we’ll help find the model that’s best suited to your home! You can get a quick quote here.
