Home Kee ping Wa r m
We have been lucky with a mild winter so far but the forecast is for a sharp drop in temperature so are you ready or will you be caught out in the cold?
WITH GLOOMY TALK of ‘Heat or Eat’ what can you do to stop wasting money and energy to keep your home warm and protected against the weather?
Firstly, get an energy audit - expert advice to help you save money needn’t be hard work – you can carry out a free online home energy check on the Energy Saving Trust website at www.energysavingtrust.
org.uk
Install insulation - up to a third of heat disappears through the roof, so it makes sense to add insulation. Common insulation
such as mineral wool has been joined in recent years by green options, such as sheep’s wool. Installing 270mm of insulation could cost as little as £250, and could cut your fuel bills by up to £100 a year as a result.
Ensure your boiler is effi cient - installing a more effi cient boiler will lower your heating costs, particularly if you buy a condensing boiler.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, a condensing boiler could save you as much as £235 a year, although installation costs can be higher than for a conventional boiler. Check out the ‘Which? Best Buys’ review for more
information on fi nding the right one for you. Turn down the heat; if you are walking around indoors in a T-shirt in winter, you are burning
cash. A simple but
effective way to cut heating costs is to take control of your central heating thermostat. Reducing room temperatures by just 1°C could cut your heating bills by almost 10 per cent. Adjusting your central heating timer to switch off at night and during the day if the house is empty will also minimise fuel consumption.
Deal with draughts by draught-
proofi ng your property will stop precious heat from escaping. Tackle draughts by fi lling any gaps around window frames, doorframes and pipe work that passes through external
10 l
www.meridian-magazine.co.uk walls. This can
be done using draught excluder strips or expanding foam fi llers. Loft hatches should also be insulated, as should the edges of the loft opening. Thermal linings for curtains act as a barrier stopping the chill air from the windows coming into the room and the loss of your heat.
REDUCING ROOM TEMPERATURES BY JUST 1°C COULD CUT YOUR HEATING BILLS BY ALMOST 10 PER CENT
Don’t overuse extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens as they burn energy if they are left on longer than necessary, so adjust the timer or switch them off manually to save energy. Some ventilation units have heat recovery systems to reduce energy loss further. Wrap up your tank.
If you live in an older house and have an uninsulated, or poorly insulated hot water tank, you are wasting money every time you
switch on your hot water system. Wrapping it up in a British Standard cylinder jacket (75mm thick) can reduce heat loss by 70 per cent. Jackets are available for as little as £10. Don’t heat unused rooms. If you have a spare bedroom that is rarely used, turn its radiator down to the lowest setting without turning it off completely. Fitting refl ective foil behind radiators on external walls will also help to reduce the rate of heat loss in these rooms.
Don’t forget the extra jumper…
W.C. ONE BATHROOMS l KITCHENS l TILES l RADIATORS
11 Lee Road Blackheath Village SE3 9RQ l 020 8297 1118
www.wcone.co.uk
Open Tuesday to Saturday 9.30-5 design and installation service available
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