As winter approaches and with the winter price caps increasing from 1st October by 2% and the average dual-fuel household now paying around £1,755 a year, energy costs remain a concern for many households. Taking proactive steps to improve your home’s energy efficiency can make a significant difference to your bills.
To help homeowners prepare for the colder months, money experts at Moneyboat have teamed up with Stephen Day, a Heating Engineer from iHeat, to offer valuable advice on essential home improvements.
From simple fixes like covering keyholes to more technical tips on boiler maintenance, these cost-effective measures can help keep your home warm and reduce energy bills throughout winter.
Tips on how to save on winter energy bills
1. Cover keyholes and letterboxes
Small openings like keyholes and letterboxes can let in a surprising amount of cold air, particularly when the wind picks up, so look at covering them with insulating tape or use a letterbox brush. You can get these for less than £5 at most hardware stores, but they can make all the difference – especially if you have a front door that leads straight to your living room. In a pinch, you could also use a piece of cardboard cut to the dimensions of your letterbox or keyhole and some heavy-duty tape to form a DIY flap that can block out smaller draughts.
2. Seal cracks and openings
Cracks and openings around doors, windows, and baseboards can easily let heat escape, but these can be easily remedied for a few pounds. For windows, you can use silicone-based sealant to repair any gaps in the seals around the frames, while for cracks in walls or baseboards, it’s best to use plaster or wood-based filler that you can lightly sand once dry.
3. Place tin foil behind radiators
If you struggle to feel the benefit of your radiators, try sticking some tin foil behind them. This will help to reflect some of the heat back towards your room and is cheaper than reflector foil, just make sure to use sturdy double-sided tape to keep it adhered to the wall. If you’re in a real pinch, you can also use cut-up old crisp packets – just make sure to give them a thorough wash before using.
4. Book an Annual Service
Every year, your boiler should be serviced by a gas safe engineer to ensure that it is running safely and efficiently. By scheduling this check in before the colder months, any potential issues can be found and dealt with well before the boiler is needed day in, day out. Identifying faults early also allows engineers to make repairs before they become major problems, optimising your boiler’s efficiency and saving you money on energy bills over the long term.
5. Bleed Your Radiators
In the warmer months, your radiators are probably at the back of your mind; however, September and early October are good times to bleed them. Doing so can remove any trapped air that has built up over the last few months, allowing your radiators to heat up more effectively when the heating comes back on in autumn and winter. This time of year, is also the best to inspect your radiators and valves for any possible leaks or corrosion. If you do find any signs of either, you can address them immediately before further damage occurs.
