It’s winter, the nights are long, the air is cold and the temptation is to turn your heating on full whack to keep you nice and toastie. Although this would work to keep your house warm, it can be expensive and is bad for the environment. “So if we can’t have our heating on all the time, what can we do?” we hear you ask. Below are some tips put together to help keep you warm this winter.

Central heating timers

Use the timers on your central heating to set times that your heating should be on or off. The CSE (Centre of Sustainable Energy) suggests having your heating come on a little earlier at a lower temperature. This is better than blasting your rooms with high heat for a short period of time. It takes less energy to warm your home lower and slower; so not only is it good for the environment but your wallet too!

Keep the heat

Curtains

Curtains aren’t just to finish a room and make them look stylish. They are a great way to keep heat from escaping through windows. When choosing curtains, go for thick material or blackout curtains (they have layers). This will help to keep the heat in when drawn.

Make the most of bright sunny days, and keep your curtains open until roughly an hour before the sun goes down. The light from the sun will help to heat your rooms and closing the curtains before it sets will help retain it.

Insulation

Make sure your loft is insulated and that the insulation is of good quality. Science tells us heat rises. Having good quality insulation between the layers of your home will help trap the heat for longer. It will also reduce the amount of time your heating needs to be on!

Rugs

Like curtains, rugs actually have a practical use as well as making a room look fabulous. Hardwood floors can be cold and draughty. Adding a rug can dramatically reduce the amount of cool air that is being let in, therefore is keeping your room warm.

Cut the draughts

Draughty loft hatch?

Speaking of lofts, make sure your hatch is not an escape for hot air or an entrance for cold air. You can get seals from most DIY stores around the country and at a relatively cheap cost.

Check the Windows

Go around your windows checking for draughts. This will help especially if they are older or could use replacing. If there is any major airflow use insulation tape to plug the gaps. You can buy kits online for around £2.50.

Invest in draught excluders

Purchase some draught excluders for front and back doors where cold air is likely to come in. Draughts can be one of the biggest ways of making you feel cold.

Cover your keyholes

On a similar note, cover your keyholes. It’s surprising how much air can flow through these tiny little gaps. You can buy them with sliding metal plates or keyhole covers.

Airflow

Shelf your radiators.

Add a shelf a little way above the radiators. This will stop the heat from rising up the walls and will help to distribute it into the room. Make sure not to put anything on the shelf that will be affected by heat.

Furniture Placement

If you have a sofa or chair in front of the radiator you might want to consider re-arranging your furniture. Having furniture in front of radiators can block the heat from going into the room and circulating warm air efficiently.

Tips and tricks

And finally, a few helpful hints that may see you warm and quids in this winter

Get your boiler serviced - inefficient boilers can be the root cause of high energy bills and lack of heat in your home.

Perform Winter maintenance checks on your home to check for damage that could cause heat loss.

Bleed your radiators to make sure there is no stuck air. Your radiator will thank you for it, and so will your warm toes!