It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to stay warm in the winter. With the worry about rising energy prices, you don’t have to sit in the cold with these easy ways keep toasty when the temperature drops:
Tin Foil
Did you know that you can use tin foil for other great uses, not just in the kitchen? If you have radiators sitting on external walls, then use tin foil behind the radiator. Aluminium is heat reflective so placing foil on the wall behind a radiator will effectively channel the heat back into the room and not escape through the wall or window frame. You can buy specially designed foil just for this purpose or normal kitchen foil will do the trick to a slightly lesser extent.
Sunlight
OK, so there might not be too much of this in the deepest, darkest winter but any there is, you need to grab it. And it’s free! Open all curtains and blinds to let in the natural light and use this as a cheap way of letting in some additional heat while you can. Closing your curtains when dusk falls will also help to retain the heat in the room so don’t wait for it to fall dark before closing blinds, shades and curtains. Before the winter hits, check your boiler as well as you wouldn’t want to be stuck with a problem during the coldest months. For Boilers Cheltenham visit www.hprservicesltd.com/cheltenham-boilers/
Fake Double Glazing
Double glazing is a very effective way of keeping heat inside, where it should be but if you can’t afford this option then you can fake it! A special film can be applied to single-glazed windows which mimics the effect of double glazing to a certain degree. You won’t be able to open your windows when you’ve applied the film, but this shouldn’t be too much of an issue in the winter. At a cost of only about £15, it is an item that can be replaced the following year.
Check for sneaky draughts
There are quite a few ways you can be losing heat from your home that you might have overlooked, or think are insignificant. Do you have a draught that comes through the letterbox for example? If so, a barrier brush might be the solution. Keyhole covers are cheap and easy to pop over any keyholes that might be letting in the cold air. Draught excluders for doors is another old-fashioned but effective answer to chilly breezes. You don’t even have to buy one as a DIY draught excluder can be made by stuffing an old pair of tights with socks or scraps of material!
Unblock your radiators
Space is an issue in many homes and the configuration of your furniture might be difficult to rearrange but if you’ve got large items in front of radiators then you’re blocking a lot of heat from reaching the room. Try not to place items like sofas in front of radiators or they will absorb all that lovely heat and leave you still feeling the chill.
Close the door on unused rooms
If you have a room or rooms, you don’t use, then shut them up. Why waste your energy heating them for no reason? Closing the door will help to keep the heat you have generated in a smaller area of your habitable living space.
