It may feel all cosy and kind of festive, but the winter can spell disaster for your home if it’s not properly prepared (sorry to be a party pooper). Here’s some guidance as to how to prepare your home for winter.
Insulate, insulate, insulate!
A quarter of your home’s heat is lost through the roof, resulting in high energy bills throughout colder months. You can remedy this by having your loft insulated, saving hundreds of pounds a year in lost heat. The same applies to any hot water tanks in your home; by wrapping them in insulation you are reducing environmental impact and saving yourself a whole lot of cash.
Hot water pipes will also need to be insulated with lagging to prevent them from bursting during winter months.
Get smart
Ask your energy company for a smart meter with display screen. This will not only save you time by sending meter readings directly to your supplier, but also save you money by making you more aware of your energy consumption throughout the day.
Alarm bells
Invest in a carbon monoxide alarm; they are relatively inexpensive but will save lives in the event of a carbon monoxide leak in your home. The deadly gas can leak from faulty fires, cookers, heaters and boilers, so an alarm really could be a lifesaver.
Check your boiler
Looking after this essential piece of equipment is a no-brainer – they are costly to replace and so why wouldn’t you spend a few pennies on an annual service or maintenance plan? That’s your cue to go and ring your local Gas Safe engineer.
He ain’t heavy
If you have thin curtains in your windows, they could be aiding the escape of heat from your home. Heavy curtains are insulation in themselves, so it may be time to get out those thermal-lined winter window coverings.
Check your chimney
A lot of heat can escape up a chimney. If you don’t use your fireplace, invest in a chimney balloon; they cost a few pounds and will stop all that heat escaping.
That’s all! Follow our little guide for a stress-free winter in your newly prepared and very cosy home!
