Simple Ways to Keep your Home Warm and Snug

Not even a weekend goes by without the sky being gloomy, grey and rainy. The UK has seen traffic chaos in recent days with the latest snowfall to have hit the North West – but that could only be the least of your worries.  

Did you know that your boiler is more likely to break down during the colder months?

The weather can massively impact how much or how little we need to heat our homes so it’s always important to ensure you’re fully prepared in any eventuality. With many people across the UK living in fuel poverty and not being able to afford to heat their homes, we’ve compiled a list of easy and affordable ways you can keep your home warm and snug all year round – even if the boiler does go bust!

Alternative Heaters

Electric heaters may provide some well-needed warmth for a short time but honestly, seriously, really... they will cost you an absolute fortune! We recommend using heaters for a short-term fix and try not to use more than two at once.

Instead, opt for a portable gas heater. They’re much cheaper to run and come in an array of interesting styles and shapes – proving your home needn’t go out of style whilst the boiler’s on the blink!

Block out Draughts

Most homes around the UK have draughts from windows and doors so if you really want to heat your home for less, it’s time to go full-on detective and investigate! Letterboxes are notorious for letting cold air in from the outside, so it’s worth buying a letterbox brush to put behind from your local hardware store which will make it harder for the cold air to get in – your postman may not appreciate it, though!

Remember to keep internal doors closed to keep the warm air circulating around the room and caulk your windows and, last but not least, get a draught excluder to prevent heat from escaping between the door and floor. If you’re feeling really creative, then you can make your own with a pair of tights, some old socks and some good old-fashioned googly eyes!

Cover Your Floors

If you’ve got tiled floors, laminate or wood flooring, then you’ll know how cold it is to stand on during those cold, winter months! If you’re having problems with your heating or simply want to make the house a little warmer, then consider laying some rugs to ensure you’ve got something warm and fluffy to walk on in a morning. Apparently, heat can escape through your floors too so there’s all more reason to lay something on top.

Move Your Couch

Big bulky furniture such as large fabric sofas and comfy armchairs can also hinder any warmth coming from the radiators so be sure to move the furniture out of the way, even by a few inches, to improve the air circulation round the room. Where possible, try to keep clothes off the radiators too as they could be absorbing valuable heat. 

For those lucky enough to have an open fireplace or chimney, position your sofas in front of it as it could block some of the cold air coming in and help to keep your room warm and snug.

Look at Incentive Schemes

If you’re in receipt of benefits, you could be eligible to receive a brand new boiler or insulation from certain groups. Everyone knows how expensive new boilers are (they can cost over £2,000!) and so if you’re running an old boiler, it may not be as efficient or as good at heating your home like a new one would.

Also, wall and loft insulation can also save you energy and most people on tax credits or income support can be eligible to get this installed for free. The main companies that run schemes like this as EDF, Npower, SSE and E.on so give them a call and find out if you’re eligible.

How do you heat your home when the temperature drops? Be sure to let us know on Facebook or Twitter!