How to keep your property warm during the winter
Sian Hiatt, Sales Manager, highlights a few things we can do to help keep the warmth in our property this winter in a cost-effective way...
Keeping our home warm during the winter is important for our health, well-being, and comfort, but of course, this all comes at a cost through the use of energy. With plenty of talk surrounding rising energy prices, you may be wondering what you can do to maintain the warmth within your home while keeping costs as low as possible.
Luckily for you we have a few tips you can follow to help achieve just that!
Things to do to maintain heat in your property at low cost
Improve the draught-proofing
There are areas of a property that are more susceptible to allowing cold air to pass through, which in turn naturally lowers the temperature of your property and results in you turning up the heat to combat it. The main culprits are doors and windows, which should obviously remain closed as often as possible if you want to maintain the warmth in your property. You can purchase draught excluders for the bottom of doors, and self-adhesive foam tape and thermal curtains for the windows. Letterboxes and keyholes are also prone to leaking through the cold winter air, so have a browse around your local DIY store for items that are designed to specifically target these draught-ridden areas.
Service the boiler
A less than efficient boiler can really add to your heating bill so it’s vital to ensure it’s serviced regularly to help ensure it not only functions safely and as expected, but to also keep your spend down. You should service the boiler annually, and don’t forget to keep an eye on the thermostats as well. An old thermostat can easily malfunction or stop operating correctly, which could lead to delays in the heating system kicking in or the property being heated at higher temperatures than originally set.
Bleed radiators if necessary
Cold air can often trap inside radiators - you can tell by feeling the radiator after it’s heated up (though be very careful!) to see if it’s colder at the top than it is at the bottom. If it is, then you know cold air is trapped inside which prevents it from filling and heating up with hot water. Bleeding the radiator will release the trapped air, allowing the hot water to flow inside once again.
Keep clothes and items away from the radiator
The hot air that is emitted from a radiator needs to freely circulate around the room in order to heat it up efficiently, so keep things like clothes and other items off the top of the radiator and allow plenty of room for any clothing airer that you set up. The same goes for your furniture - if you have furniture blocking the radiator, such as a large sofa, consider re-arranging the room where possible to allow the hot air to freely circulate.
Run the rule over your home’s insulation
Inadequate insulation is another common reason the energy bill runs high. Ensure your home is well insulated, including up in the loft space where heat is prone to escaping - remember, hot air rises! Also check underneath the floors and between external walls and insulate your hot water cylinder to a thickness of at least 75mm.
There is plenty of further support and advice to help keep your house warm through a useful ‘Keep Warm Keep Well” leaflet available on the UK Government website.
Here at CPS Homes, we’re proud to offer expert sales and lettings advice across the city of Cardiff. To discuss your property situation, whether buying, selling, renting, or investing, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team by calling 02920 668585, e-mailing enquiries@cpshomes.co.uk or by popping into one of our three Cardiff based branches.
