We’re all spending more time at home these days and those who have recently started working from home may have noticed an increase in utility bills as the house has been occupied for longer periods of time.
This wasn’t such a big issue during the first lockdown in March as the weather in spring warmed up quickly so those home offices didn’t require too much heat. But as we approach winter this year, may are still working at home and only the lucky few receive help with bills from their employer.
So it is more important than ever to invest some time and a little money in to some energy saving.
Here’s a quick list to get you started. We haven’t included things like cavity wall insulation, loft insulation or upgrading your boiler, these are more expensive projects that take time to organise. If you are thinking of doing one of these don’t forget to see if you are eligible for a Government grant to cover some or all of the cost.
How Can I Winter Proof My Home Over the Weekend?
In the meantime, here’s some jobs for the weekend!
- Check insulation around your doors and don’t forget the letterbox. UPVC doors are usually draught free but wooden doors expand and contact in cold or wet weather so they are a great place to start.
- Anything that isn’t in use should be switched off at the plug. You can buy an energy monitor for under ten pounds that will tell you how much the microwave, DVD player or monitor is costing you on standby. It is estimated we waste £200 a year this way.
- Consider moving a home office to the main area of the house if you can. Garden offices or garage rooms take a lot more heating and you won’t get warmth benefit to the other areas of your home.
- Try to cook more than one dish in the oven at a time. An oven costs around 14 pence per hour to use so try to double up!
- Open curtains in the day to get warmth from the sun and close them as soon as it gets dark to keep nippy weather outside.
- Turn the thermostat on the heating and hot water down a little, you may not notice the difference but you’ll save around 1% for each degree.
- Turn down radiators in rooms you don’t use that much.
- Keep the freezer full. This stops too much warm air getting in when you open it.
- Wash clothes at a lower temperature.
If you need any more tips, please get in touch – we’ll help where we can. For larger jobs, we’re here for insulation or StormDry applications, both will cut £££’s off your bills.