We all know what winter means, cold and that mean’s sticking the heating on unless you want to shiver away under a duvet not leaving your bed. We’ve all been told to ‘layer up’ as heat is trapped between the layers keeping you warm, and most importantly it’s FREE!
Living in rented accomodation can mean the main loss of heat is through poor insulation; of course you can pester your Letting Agents for insulation and double glazing, but that’s not always possible. There are a few tips and tricks which will warm up your house and save you money in the long run, no shock of a £700 bill.
- Tin Foil – using a heat reflective material such as tin foil behind radiators will prevent heat loss by reflecting it back into the room, meaning when you do put the heating on, at least you’re getting double the benefit from it! (Of course you can buy foil specially designed for this purpose but good quality foil will work just as well).
- Thick curtains – You lose a lot of heat through windows, so having thick curtains will maximise the heat retention, even just sewing on cheap fleece or thermal lining will make a big difference. For extra protection place curtains in front of doors.
- Double Glazing – a lot of rented properties don’t have double glazing as it’s expensive, but there a few ways you can imitate the effect, such as the special film which you cover your windows with or the cheaper option (we’re all about saving those pennies), you use the self–adhesive foam strips to seal any gaps round your windows and doors.
- Stop heat escaping – either through your chimney, letter box, under the door or even cat flap you can buy covers, attaching a little material on the inside or an old fashioned draft excluder (tights stuffed with socks if you want to make your own) will make a huge difference, as a little draft can make a room much colder.
- Keep your radiators clear – avoiding putting large furniture in front as all the heat will be absorbed by this, so beds or sofas are a no-no.
- Keep doors closed – you’ve heard the saying ‘I’m not heating outside’, so keep your doors shut to prevent the cold air moving round the house, after all you’re paying for that.
- Bare floorboards – they may look nice but did you know they account for 10% heat loss if not properly insulated, throw a few rugs down, not only keeping your feet warm but trapping the heat.
- Timers – it’s as simple as setting the heating to come on for an hour a day, it’s much more effective than leaving the heating on all day, after all you are paying for it!
