As our British summer draws to a close – in typical anticlimactic fashion – our minds begin to wander to the inevitable drop in temperature during autumn and the frosty descent of winter thereafter.
In order to prepare for the coldest months of the year, it’s essential that you keep your house well insulated in advance. This will help you to save money on your heating bill, enabling the house to naturally retain heat and stay warmer for longer.
Here are some of the easiest ways to ensure that the bitterness of winter doesn’t penetrate your cosy home.
1 – Purchase insulated curtains
During the day, it’s best to leave the curtains open and let in as much natural light as possible. Once night descends and the temperature drops, keep the curtains firmly closed to retain as much heat as possible. Insulated curtains, designed specifically for winter usage, are also available.
If you want to be as cost effective as possible, you should consider lining your standard curtains with insulating material, such as vinyl or plastic (such as PVC shower curtains, for instance). This might not be the most aesthetically pleasing option, but it is certainly effective if you’re on a strict budget!
2 – Seal doors and windows
If your home feels colder than it should be, test to see if you have any air leaks in your doors and windows. The easiest way to do this is to hover your hand across the surfaces and see if you can feel cold air anywhere – this is an obvious indicator of a leak.
Fortunately, these problems are easy to correct without breaking the bank. You may wish to consider sealing your windows with rope caulk, which is inexpensive. A door snake is also an inexpensive investment which you can place at the bottom of your door which will seal off the outside air. Cracked panes can even be sealed with nail polish.
For more information about sealing your home, please check out this article we wrote previously.
3 – Use the oven
While consuming a delicious roast dinner is an excellent way to feel warmer from the inside out, never underestimate the effect that running the oven while cooking the meal has on the house. If you’re in the kitchen while cooking the meal, sealing the room off is a great way to stay warm (thanks to the oven) while you enjoy the feast.
Even if the rest of the house is chilly, so long as the people are warm, this is still helping to save money that you would be spending by turning the heater on. However, this should not be encouraged for those that have a gas oven due to the risk of carbon-monoxide poisoning.
4 – Optimise radiators
One nifty trick is to purchase a radiator reflector from your local hardware store. By installing this device on the wall behind your radiators, the heat that would otherwise dissipate outside of the home will now be reflected back into the room. To save money, ordinary tinfoil can be used for the same purpose. In addition, you may wish to install a shelf which hangs directly above the radiator – this will prevent heat from travelling out of the room through the ceiling.
5 – Double glazing
While double glazed windows might cost more than the previous tips as an initial investment, the money saved in energy bills (and noise reduction, if that’s a concern) makes it more than worthwhile in the long-run.
At Unicorn Windows, our uPVC windows are one of the most popular options amongst our clients, particularly because they are long lasting, easy to recycle and excellent at retaining heat within the home.
For more information, please check out our windows gallery and please don’t hesitate to get in contact.