Winter tips for the home
During winter, energy bills go up as we turn on the heating and lights more often, and there is a lot more demand on boilers and pipes.
Here are some tips from our maintenance team to help keep your home warm, save energy and avoid frozen pipes.
How to keep your home warm
- Draw the curtains. This will help to keep any draught out and keep heat in
- You can also reduce any draught coming through windows by applying draught-proof strips
- Rolling up a towel and placing it by doors will keep out cold air
- Keep the heating on low thoughout the day. Switching it off will make the home cold and more expensive to heat back up
How to save energy
- Turn off appliances which are on standby
- Turn down the thermostat by 1 degree
- Turn your lights off when you’re not using them
- Switch to energy-efficient lightbulbs such as LEDs
- Use a flask to store hot water instead of boiling the kettle every time
- Take shorter showers
How to avoid frozen pipes
- Leave your heating on when you go out. Set it to 12 – 15 degrees. This keeps the water in the system warm and flowing.
- Open your sink cupboards up for an hour during the evening. This will circulate the warm air under your kitchen sink/bathroom pipes and will keep them from freezing.
- Run your taps – it’s harder for water to freeze if it is running. This will prevent stagnant water from freezing.
- If pipes are frozen use a warm towel and wrap around the pipe. Do not pour hot water straight on pipes as this will crack the pipework and cause major issues.
If you have any problems with your boiler, radiators or hot water supply, please contact us on 01474 369830 (available 24/7).