As the weather forecasters start predicting more rain, snow, and hail throughout the UK for the coming months, the sooner we start thinking of ways to warm up our homes. Heating may not be as budget-friendly as we’d like it to be, so I’ve compiled several ways that’ll be sure to warm up your family this winter.
OPT FOR WARMER CLOTHES AND WINTER WARMING DRINKS
First and foremost, warming up our bodies with warmer clothes is the easiest thing to do when considering ways to save on heating. Think of fuzzy socks, gloves, and hats for every family member and why not for your furry friends as well – it’ll keep things more interesting around the house. Aside from that, offering your family warm drinks to savor throughout the day will naturally warm their bodies, such as hot chocolate, tea, or punch. Be sure to substitute as much sugar with fresh fruit – you wouldn’t want to stir things around and have them running around the house with a sugar rush.
SET A TIMER FOR YOUR HEATER
As Martin Lewis puts it, a TV star and money-saving expert, it is indeed most cost-effective to leave your heating on low but constantly rather than flicking it off and on as you need it. However, using a timer is the best way to go. Heaters are designed to be most cost-efficient by turning themselves on and off so that your home stays at the temperature you need it. Depending on how bundled up your family is, turning the temperature down one notch can save you around £75 per year. A healthy temperature range to set your thermostat to is between 18-21°C. As you use your heating systems more throughout the winter months, be sure to schedule regular maintenance for it and not wait until there’s a problem to get it fixed.
DRESS YOUR WINDOWS UP IN WARMER CLOTHES
As the winter breeze starts to hit, dress your windows up in warmer clothes the same way you’d dress yourself. Maybe not to the same extent, but you get the idea. Replace thin curtains with heavier wool or fleece ones during the fall so that your home is as cozy as it can be during the winter. On sunny days, take advantage of the sunlight by opening the curtains and letting the warmth in – you’ll definitely save money on your electricity bill from doing this. Make sure weather-stripping on your windows is in good condition. You’d be surprised to know that 7 to 12 percent of heat loss happens because of the thin space around the doors and windows. An effective way to prevent this is by removing the cover plates and filling small gaps with acrylic latex caulk. However, If you can splurge a little on your windows, getting double glazed windows will be cheaper over the long-run compared to maintaining the gaps.
UTILISE YOUR CEILING FANS
If you have ceiling fans in your home, you may think they are useless during the winter. Many fans have a winter setting which reverses the direction of the plates from clockwise to counterclockwise motion so that the heat from your room is pushed back down. If you don’t have a winter setting, simply run your fan on its lowest setting in the clockwise direction, and that’ll do the job.
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