Ways to keep your Home Warmer this winter

People typically switch their central heating on in October and use it daily until March or April. This coincides with the clocks going back, the drop in temperature and Winter Fuel Payments – to anyone who receives the state pension.

Heating homes accounts for over 70% of household energy consumption. So reducing this figure – while keeping homes warm enough – not only cuts energy bills, but helps meet the carbon reduction commitments that the UK government is legally required to deliver.

The most recent figures show that 2.38m households in the UK are in fuel poverty – which basically means that almost 11% of British homes cannot afford to keep warm. But while the scale of this problem is significant, not all the solutions need to be complex and costly. So here are 10 simple tips for keeping your home warm for little or no extra cost – just in time for that severe weather warning.

Close your curtains

Looking out at a beautiful snowy landscape is blissful during the day, but at there’s no need for it at night. Especially when it’s making your house cold! Windows can be a sneaky culprit in bringing in the outside cold, so closer your curtains to save yourself some heat. If they’re thermal insulation curtains, that’s even better.

Keep items away from the radiator

Not just because it can be a fire hazard, but because those items are blocking the heat from circulating around the house. Your couch may look great near that radiator, but for the winter months, you may want to find that sofa a new home. Free anything blocking the radiator so the heat can run through your house evenly.

Draught-proof your doors

Keep the cold air out and the warm air in! All it takes is a little weather stripping along your exterior doors. Using high-quality silicone rubber weather stripping will not only seal gaps, but increases energy efficiency in your home. And it can all be done in a weekend! Already have some installed? Here’s how to repair weather stripping if you do.

Install radiator panels

Instead of having the heat from your radiators bounce off your walls, going random directions, specify an area that you would like the heat to be the most prominent. Installing radiator panels on your ceiling can easily do this. Want the area around your television to be warmer? Your desk? Radiator panels heat up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit in five minutes of being switched on, making that specific area warm in no time.

Insulate hot water pipes

With insulation sleeves around your water pipes, you can cut your wait time for reheating the water an exponential amount—and will even prevent the pipes from freezing. Plus, if you fit a cylinder jacket around your water tank, you can also reduce heat loss and save on your gas bill.

Try soapstone heaters

These will probably be your handiest tool during the cold winter months. Place the soapstone heater next to a heat source to warm up. It quickly absorbs the heat, and in return will radiate heat for hours afterward. They don’t easily overheat, which makes them great for bed warmers and satellite heating needs.

Designate a heating room

This can especially be helpful during emergencies, which yes, emergencies can happen during the winter months. Designate a well-insulated room as your warming place. Cover vents, windows, and doors with blankets to keep drafts out, and bring in other heating sources like your soapstone heater. If you plan on spending the night in this specific room, set up mattresses for sleeping if necessary.