The weather is getting colder and you will soon be using the heating and making adjustments to your home in order to keep the heat in… but also hopefully keep your utility bills down! In preparation for the big chill, we thought we would share some of the BuySpares team’s top tips for ensuring you’re not being wasteful with your energy or money.

1. Find and Fix Any Draughts

The last thing you want when you are trying to heat your home is a draught. This is counter productive and you are effectively just throwing money away! In preparation you should locate any areas of the home where draughts might occur and take steps to minimise the impact. This will typically include gaps underneath doors and weak points in the sealing around window frames.

Draught proofing is usually a very simple do-it-yourself task. You can buy draught-proofing strips to stick around window frames from most DIY stores and to there are a number of stylish draught excluders for doorways, so you will be able to find one that matches your interior design scheme.

2. Don’t Heat an Empty House

Due to work and other commitments it is likely that during certain times of the day, there will be nobody at home. If this is the case then don’t fall into the trap of leaving your heating on all day. Most boilers and heating systems can be pre-programmed and will have a timer, so before the cold weather hits take some time to think about what times of day you want the heating to come on. This might be early morning and just before you come in from work, for example.

Also take some time to find the lowest comfortable temperature. Turning down your thermostat by just 1 degree can make a significant difference to your heating bill and will have a positive environmental impact. This simple change could save you up to £35 a year.

3. Use Localised Heating Solutions

If one room in your home is colder then the rest then you may want to consider using a stand alone heater or radiator.  These devices give you greater control over raising the temperature in a localised space rather than putting the heating on or increasing the desired temperature for the whole house using the thermostat. This type of product will typically be used in the main living spaces where you will spend the majority of your time.

View our range of heating products.

4. Keep Heat Where You Need It

Some rooms will be used more than others such as the lounge or kitchen. It makes sense for you to try and keep these spaces warmer and there are some simple things you can do to keep the heat in. Firstly, if you have a central heating system using radiators then only have them turn on in the rooms you are using – keeping your guest room cosy when nobody is using it is simply a waste of energy and money. Secondly, you can warm a room up quicker and keep the heat in by closing internal doors.

5. Insulation, Insulation, Insulation!

This is generally a more long term solution and may be expensive to initially install, but in time it will pay for itself. Making your home more energy efficient will stop your heating systems needing to work as hard to maintain the desired temperature. Everything from your walls, loft, roof, windows and even your pipes can be made more energy efficient. Effective insulation will not only make your home warmer, but can also lower your utility bills. For more information on the different types of insulation that are available, visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

6. Make Heat-Wise Choices

There are lots of things you can do to stop heat escape and make better use of heat around the home. Simply considering heat retention when you are buying items such as curtains can help lessen the effect of draughty windows and patio doors. Where possible you should opt for a thick lining. Another tip to avoid wasting heat is to leave the oven door open once it has been switched off and you’ve finished cooking.

7. Improve The Airflow in Your Home

If you have a ceiling fan that you use to keep you cool in the summer months then you might be surprised to know it can also aid you in keeping rooms warm as well. Reversing the direction of the fan blades forces air near the ceiling to be circulated back into the living space. Hot air rises, so this change to the air flow direction does the opposite to the regular cooling motion. Most ceiling fans will have a switch for swapping between clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation.

If you have any of your own tips for saving money on your heating bills or keeping the heat in your home, please feel to add them to the comments below.

Tags: Home Improvements, Money Saving Tips