Winter Heating Tips

Small house

Winter can be a wonderful time of year. We batten down the hatches, wrap ourselves up and get ready for the colder, darker days and nights of the months to come. Keeping cosy during the winter can get expensive, so follow our winter heating tips to make sure you and your family stay warm – and not out of pocket!

Winter Heating Tips #1: Insulate

The most important of our winter heating tips is this one, simply because of the vast amount of difference it can make to how warm your home is – and to your heating bills! If you haven’t yet invested in insulation for your home yet, now is the time to do it. There are schemes available that can provide cheap or free cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, both of which can prevent huge amounts of heat being lost.

Winter Heating Tips #2: Keep the Heat In

You wouldn’t buy a coat just to throw it away as soon as you walk out of the shop – why should you do the same with your heating? Making the most of the heat will save you money and give you a much cosier home. Some things you can do to help keep the heat in are:

  • Where possible, keep internal doors shut to keep the heat where it’s needed
  • Use draught excluders in windows and doors
  • Use thick curtains, especially for single glazed windows

Winter Heating Tips #3: Conserve Energy

Contrary to what you may think, conserving energy doesn’t necessarily mean suffering a colder home. In fact, by following these winter heating tips and making a conscious effort to make the most of the energy you use, you will likely be more comfortable than you were before.

  • Only heat the rooms you use. It’s pointless heating a spare room when you haven’t got any guests staying, and you may find that you can turn the radiators off in the bedrooms if you’re out all day.
  • Dress for the weather. Of course, putting a jumper on isn’t the same as having the heating cranked up, but there is a middle ground. Dress warmly, and heat the home moderately.
  • Avoid using electric heaters where possible. They cost a fortune and provide a very temporary heat. If you cant stand having a chilly room first thing, consider setting the timer on the boiler so the heating kicks in half an hour before you’re due to wake.

General Winter Heating Tips

Winter is a common time for central heating systems to go belly up after having had minimal use over the warmer summer months, so the run ­up to winter is a good time to have your boiler serviced and safety checked by Gas Services. A boiler service can pick up on developing problems before they cause a breakdown – and nobody wants a breakdown in the middle of winter! We also provide a power flushing service which can make your central heating work more efficiently, keeping you warmer and saving you money long­ term.