The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Your Home Warm on a Budget

Households in the UK are paying more for heating due to the rise in wholesale gas prices and the energy price cap. However, there are ways to maintain a warm and cosy home without increasing costs. 

Fortunately, you can easily reduce the heat that escapes your home. One way to save on heating expenses is insulating your home and taking practical measures to ensure your home stays warm and cosy while minimising energy costs. 

Insulate Your Home 

Insulating your home keeps it warmer and increases energy efficiency. According to the Energy Savings Trust, insulating your home could result in yearly savings of up to £180. Based on a government report from the previous year, energy-saving measures increase property values, raising your house's value. 

The most cost-effective home insulation method is to seal it. Start by caulking cracks where pipework enters the outside environment, caulking gaps around electrical fittings, and insulating pipes. Hardware stores sell pipe lagging and insulation for affordable prices. Investing in thicker thermal curtains or blinds that trap heat inside the room is another efficient way to keep your home warm. Additionally, closing blinds and curtains as it grows dark helps keep heat inside. 

Draft-proof Your Home 

Blocking cold air from entering your doors and windows is crucial to keep your home warm during the colder months. You can add a draught excluder to your doors, easily made at home or purchased online for next to nothing. Additionally, you can save on your heating bill by adding self-adhesive rubber seals around doors and windows. 

Draught-proofing is a cost-effective task that you can easily do yourself. To identify any drafts, you can use incense sticks. Hold the stick by a door or window; if the smoke goes straight up, there's no draft. If the smoke blows horizontally, there's a gap that needs to be filled.  

Bleed Your Radiators When Necessary 

If your radiator is not heating as well as it should, you must bleed it. To check if this is the case, place your hand over the radiator while the central heating is on, being careful not to burn yourself. If you think the top of the radiator is cooler than the bottom, then bleeding is necessary. 

Bleeding your radiators can help you save money on energy bills by making them more efficient. Radiators with trapped air bubbles prevent warm water from circulating and heating up the room. 

Use Radiator Panels 

Radiators are frequently installed on building exterior walls. Because of this, a sizable portion of the heat they produce is lost in heating the wall and surroundings. Radiator panels, on the other hand, can assist in avoiding this wastage by reflecting the heat into your house.  

These solar panels are inexpensive and straightforward to install. Alternatively, installing reflective foil is a simple and efficient way to reflect heat back into a room. It will blend in perfectly and go unnoticed with careful fitting. 

Consider Installing Thermostatic Radiator Valves 

Thermostatic radiator valves are not used to control the boiler. They work by sensing the temperature of the surrounding air instead and are mounted directly onto radiators. The valve will partially close if the surrounding temperature exceeds the desired level, reducing the hot water used to cool the space through the radiator. If the air is colder, the valve will open, letting more hot water into the radiator to heat the space. 

Regularly Maintain Your Boiler 

Regular boiler maintenance ensures proper functioning and prevents significant issues and faults. In the long run, servicing your boiler is more cost-effective since it lowers heating costs. 

Your heating system must receive regular boiler maintenance to function properly during the colder months. If the boiler breaks down, you and your family will be uncomfortable and cold until the HVAC technician arrives.  

Worse yet, your pipes could freeze, leading to serious plumbing problems and harm to your home. Inspecting your boiler at least once a year is advised to ensure it operates properly and replace any needed parts. 

Invest In a Smart Thermostat 

Smart thermostats work in the same way as traditional manual thermostats. They instruct the boiler to switch on the central heating and keep it running until the desired temperature is reached. After that, the boiler switches off automatically. But the boiler will restart if the temperature drops below the set value.  

These smart thermostats also offer the same heating scheduling features as programmable thermostats. You can program the central heating on and off and change your desired temperature. 

Wi-Fi allows the smart thermostat to connect to your home's wireless network. You can control them remotely using a smartphone app. The app lets you quickly change the schedule and temperature. It is important to note that if you experience problems with your home internet connection, you can manually adjust the settings using the device's built-in controls. 

Final Thoughts 

Keeping your house warm and comfortable during the winter doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. It's important to realise that even small actions can have a big impact, so start making changes immediately and enjoy the benefits of a cosy home all winter. Using these practical advice and methods, you can keep your house warm while reducing expenses.