The winter season brings plenty of joy and cheer, but if you’re concerned about how you’re going to keep warm this winter, we’re here with some of our top comfort-boosting tips and home improvement ideas.
- Bleed Your Radiators
If you feel cold areas on your radiators, there may be air trapped inside that is preventing them from working properly. Radiator bleeding keys are available online and in many DIY stores and will remove trapped air with ease. We also recommend making sure there aren’t any large pieces of furniture in front of your radiators that may be preventing the warm air from circulating around your home.
- Draught-Proof Your Property
As much as 18% of your home’s heat will escape through your windows, with a further 3% escaping through doors. There are many draught-proofing options available, including easy to install strips for doors and windows, choosing thicker curtains, and positioning draught-excluders in front of external doors.
According to data from the Energy Saving Trust, draught-proofing around your doors and windows could save you £40 per year.
- Insulate Your Loft
Many properties already have loft insulation, however, many don’t have enough to effectively help to retain heat. Simply topping up your loft insulation from 120mm to the recommended 270mm can make a huge difference to how warm your property feels. By doing this, the Energy Saving Trust reports that you could save up to £380 on your energy bills each year.
- Install Wall Insulation
Wall insulation is another highly effective way to improve your property’s ability to retain heat during the colder months. Many properties constructed after 1930 were built with cavity walls, which can be filled with insulation to help you to save hundreds of pounds per year on your energy bills.
If your property was constructed before the 1930s, there is a good chance that it has solid walls. While cavity wall insulation isn’t suitable for this type of property, external wall insulation will provide the same benefits, as well as helping to weatherproof your property and extend the lifespan of your brickwork. The Energy Saving Trust reports that external wall insulation can help you to create a warm and cosy home whilst saving up to £550 per year on your energy bills.
There are a range of government-backed schemes available to help with the costs of boosting the energy performance of your property, including the Great British Insulation Scheme. To find out more about these schemes and some of the home improvement services we offer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the friendly team at Next Energy.
