Avoid the January blues with your heating bill this winter
The January blues are inevitably going to creep in as Christmas and New Year are over for another 12 months, and all you have for the foreseeable future is work. However, don't let a cold house or sky-high bills affect your mood this winter by following our money and heat saving tips!
Warming up with the heating off
Whether you're a tenant or a home owner, you may be money-conscious and wish to survive the winter without touching the thermostat, and in some respects you can save money this way. Layering up whilst inside with jumpers and blankets will trap more body heat, allowing you to keep the radiators off for longer.
Hot water bottles and hot drinks are also good methods of keeping warm without turning to the boiler. However, it’s actually good to have the heating on for a few hours at morning and night to prevent pipes from freezing and then bursting.
Once you've dressed in your whole wardrobe, filled up a hot water bottle, and have drunk copious amounts of tea, use our tips to keep your home warm this winter whilst avoiding a gigantic bill.
What landlords can do for tenants
When you’re a tenant having work done to your house takes time, so don't expect an instant solution, but suggesting areas that could do with an improvement regarding heat efficiency in your home can help both you and your landlord.
If your house isn't already double glazed, installing new windows can cut down on the amount of heat escaping from your home. This is the same with doors that aren't fitted or sealed properly, cracks in walls and floorboards, or a roof that needs insulating. These are all big jobs and come with an equally big price tag, but if you notice a place where a lot of heat is escaping, it is worth a quick mention.
What you can do
There are plenty of things you can do yourself to keep the bills down and the temperature up, and most of them require little effort or expense and are well worth it considering the amount you will save.
Radiators
Accessorising your radiator by putting a sheet of tinfoil behind it seems like a crazy idea but it will stop the heat escaping into the walls. You can buy a more effective foil used specifically for this purpose for under £10, but the tin foil you probably already have in your kitchen will also work. Making sure your radiators are dust free and clear from furniture also helps circulation of heat, so give them a regular hoover and have a quick rearrange of your rooms.
Curtains and rugs
Soft furnishings don’t just aesthetically improve the warmth of your house, they are also helpful with containing heat. Thick curtains can stop heat leaking out of your windows, and rugs do the same job for your floors. Windows can be responsible for up to 25% of your home’s heat loss, with floors losing 10% of heat, so you can see how these two steps can easily save you a substantial amount whilst keeping your house snug.
Spare rooms
If you’re in a student house, it is likely you do not have any spare rooms, however, if you do, make sure they are shut up when not being used, with the radiator turned off.
Let the sun in
By all means use your new thick curtains to their maximum potential, but on a sunny winter’s day, let some sunlight into your home to add some extra warmth. After all, it’s free! Closing your curtains as soon as dusk falls will help retain the most heat.
Use the oven
You have probably noticed how warm your kitchen becomes at dinner time when you are cooking. After you’ve finished using the oven and have turned it off, leave it open to allow the remaining heat to spread into the rest of the house. This way you can efficiently use this heat for several purposes.
We are lucky to live in a city with many beautiful, old properties, but unfortunately that often goes hand in hand with being expensive to heat. We hope that by following a few of our tips you will be able to reduce your heating bills and keep warm this winter.
If you have any extra tips you’d like to share, contact us through our Facebook, Twitter or Google+ pages!
