While the weather is getting colder, many people are looking for ways to keep their homes warm while saving money on their heating bills.
The weather outside is far from delightful for most Brits this winter, as large areas across the country face a heavy snowstorm on Christmas Day.
With people worrying about buying presents, the cost of living and energy bills, it can be easy to be stressed about money at this time of year.
However, there are a few things to do before you even switch on radiators that will help keep your home warmer according to Josh Allen from Domestic and General, a home maintenance company.
In a blog post, Josh wrote: “Get your home ready for cold weather – especially in the UK’s unpredictable climate… even small improvements to your heating efficiency can bring big savings.”
Read more: Three ‘important’ radiator checks to ensure your home stays warm
How to keep your home warm this winter
Plug the gaps in floorboards
Cold air can sneak into your home through gaps in windows, doors or even floorboards. Making sure your floors are fully covered can have a major impact on your heating bill.
Josh wrote: “Floorboards aren’t the first place we check when trying to stop heat escaping. However, an uninsulated floor can be responsible for up to 20 percent of the heat loss in your home.”
Keep radiators uncovered
This time of year, most people are drying their laundry indoors on radiators, but this can actually prevent your home from staying warm.
Josh wrote: “It’s easy to dry clothes on the radiator, but it also stops heat circulating around the room.
“Try not to cover your radiators with things like curtains, clothes or towels. Don’t put furniture too close either, as this will also block the heat.”
Insulate pipes
Pipe insulation only costs between 40p to £2.50 to do and can be done yourself depending on if you have easy access to your pipes.
Josh wrote: “Most pipe insulation (or lagging) consists of a foam tube that covers the exposed pipes between your hot water cylinder and boiler. This reduces heat loss and keeps your water hotter for longer.”
Not only will it reduce heat loss, but it will also help protect pipes from freezing in the future and reduce condensation forming in the inner side of the pipeline, which can help prevent pipe damage.
Flush radiators
Checking and cleaning radiators regularly is important to make sure you are getting the most out of your home heating system. Radiators can easily be clogged up with debris and dirt from around the home, which can prevent them from keeping a house warm.
Josh wrote: “When this stuff builds up, it stops heat flowing around and leads to cold spots. If left unchecked, this residue can also cause blockages, corrosion and poor efficiency.”
If you have never cleaned your radiators before, a power flush is the ultimate deep clean. Josh wrote: “This is a powerful pump which pushes a blend of cleaning chemicals through your heating system. It will remove limescale, prevent rust and dislodge all that unpleasant residue.”
However, Josh also warned that while there are kits to try this out yourself, it is best to leave this job to professionals if you have never done it before.
