Heating homes during winter is always difficult for those who need to reduce their energy bills.
Keeping your home toasty at a comfy 18C to 21C is advised, yet heat can slip away via letterboxes, window frame gaps, and even walls.
However, Fantastic Services’ accredited electrician David Miloshev noted that there are a “surprising amount of clever little tricks you can use to keep yourself warmer and your bills lower”. The expert has gathered “some of the best ones” for households to remember.
He urges households to utilise curtains and blinds a zero-electricity tactic that can significantly uplift warmth levels.
The pro advised: “Keep your blinds and curtains open during the hours of the day when the sun is shining towards your windows and close them when it starts to set.”
You can take advantage of the free warmth by welcoming what little sunshine there is in winter into homes.
He added: “Closing the curtains and blinds afterwards helps create a good insulating layer and lets you keep that free warmth you’ve gathered throughout the day.”
Bulkier drapery stands as a better barricade against heat loss, this being even more critical with older windows.
Safe Style Windows reveals a substantial 18 percent of the total heat may vanish through its windows.
To avoid this, Helen O’Connor, product manager at 247 Blinds and 247 Curtains recommends eliminating all draughts with curtains as a key way to reduce the need for central heating.
She said: “Getting the right window dressing can help reduce your energy usage as heat loss through windows accounts for roughly 25 to 30 percent of the energy used in our homes.”
Helen added, “On average, in winter months, we have around six to eight hours of daylight, which means that for the other 18 hours of the day, we should consider keeping our curtains and blinds shut.
“If you’re not going to be home during the day, consider keeping your curtains closed, as this will help retain the heat when you come home.”
Households are advised not just to focus on windows but also doors to reduce energy losses. David warned that chilly draughts can whisk away precious warmth in a flash.
He further suggested: “Consider draught stoppers for your doors and windows to help solve the issue.”
David pointed out other less obvious sources of heat loss: “Any other openings to the outside world might also be causing draughts – dryer vents, electrical work, oven vents, and even keyholes and outlets can be draught-causing culprits.
“To cut down on these chilly intrusions,” he advised, “Use keyhole and outlet covers or insulators, and make sure any other openings are well-sealed with caulking.”
