Finding the best energy efficiency measures is not the only reason you should take steps to keep your home warm this winter. There’s something really therapeutic and magical about being cosy and comfortable indoors during the colder months of the year, especially snuggling up with loved ones or pets after a long day at work or fighting your way through wild weather! Let’s look at some easy ways to make your home warmer, with low-cost home improvements or changes to your décor.
Fabulous fabric solutions
One of the most common ways to get cosy in winter is to use throws and fluffy blankets as personal coverings in your interior design. Even adding extra cushions to your sofa or deeper upholstery to chairs can create a sensation of warmth when you relax at home. It’s similar to the way layering up clothes traps hot air around your body when you’re out and about. Adding extra home furnishings can do much the same in your living spaces.
Then, of course, there are curtains and other window dressings. Having them open on brighter days can help generate solar heat and the light factor can be uplifting, however, keeping them closed when the light fades outside makes sense – this is an easy way to insulate rooms. You should also consider adding fixed or temporary curtains for doors and between rooms too- this helps stop drafts and keeps warm air in.
Lagging and other practical tasks
There are other practical steps to keep your home warmer. For instance, putting specialist foil backing behind radiators increases the amount of heat they send into your living spaces. Make sure radiators aren’t covered by curtains or blocked by furniture, as this reduces their effectiveness and wastes money. You may also need to bleed them to take the air out of the system and optimise their efficiency.
Do your windows still fit snuggling in the frames, and are they all tightly closed? One small draft from a window can cause significant heat loss in your home. Don’t forget to put draught excluder products along the bottom of doors, and on letterboxes and dog flaps. Loft insulation has never been more important. Also, make sure your hot water pipes are properly lagged, so you are using energy wisely to create hot water for your home. Having your boiler serviced regularly is also an important measure to keep the heat coming while managing your energy bills.
The best warm home solution
What is the ultimate way to create adjustable and energy-efficient warmth in your home? The answer to that lies beneath your feet! Yes, this could include rugs, as part of your layering up process mentioned above. However, go down further, and you have the attractive option of underfloor heating. Buying modern underfloor heating mats and thermostats to install under a beautiful tiled floor can also make it far easier to adjust your home environment as the weather changes. That’s because Just Tiles is a supplier of smart technology that operates your underfloor heating from your mobile phone. Getting your home cosy and ready for your return can be a cost-efficient way to always have a ‘warm’ welcome when you open your front door.
Should the heating stay on?
One of the biggest debates among homeowners in winter is whether it’s better to leave the heating on around the clock – with the thermostat at the right level – or put it on only when needed. The view is that heating a home that’s gone cold costs more than just keeping it constantly at a pleasant temperature.
The Energy Saving Trust is clear on this topic and suggests using your timer or manually operating your heating, rather than having it permanently on, if you want to save money. A good home heating system can warm rooms quickly if it has been off for a while. Consider buying a small mobile electric fan heater you can use in your living room or bedroom to get that space warm without having your whole central heating system on.
Photos by Spacejoy on Unsplash
