As the frost quickly paves it’s way into our days, it is important that we protect our homes against the harsh freeze in the air. In this article, we have compiled a list of useful tips to keep you and your home protected this winter.

There are a number of ways in which you can help keep your home safe through the cold weather including:

• Draught-proof around windows and doors to seal any gaps.
• Keep curtains and internal doors closed in the evening.
• Check all the ‘gaps’ in your home and seal them with easy to apply adhesive or gap filler.

Insulating your home can help prevent heat escaping:

• Your loft should have at least 10-11 inches of insulation.
• Check to see if you have wall cavities; insulate them too.
• Insulate your pipes.

You can keep your home warm and lower your bills by setting your heating to the right temperature (between 18–21°C or 64–70°F).

Thermostats:

• Use your thermostat to your advantage by setting the correct temperature for your home.

Timers:

• By using a timer on your heating system, you can set your daily times in advance for when you are going to be home.
• Set the timer on your heating to come on before you get up and switch off when you go to bed.

Radiators:

• Clear the space between your radiators and large objects such as a sofa.
• It is important that on the coldest days your heating is permanently on to prevent pipes from freezing, keeping your central heating on and to a low setting will not only prevent frozen pipes but it is cheaper than repeatedly turning your heating on and off.
• One way to prevent the heat lost from your radiators is to use aluminium foil behind the radiator. This prevents heat disappearing through the wall by bouncing it back into the room.
• Putting a shelf above your radiator also helps the flow of warm air enter your home rather than losing the warm air through the ceiling (make sure it doesn’t touch the radiator though!).

Keep all windows and internal doors closed; close the curtains as soon as it gets dark to stop heat escaping from your home and to reduce drafts.

• Thick curtains are really helpful in keeping heat in the house.
• If you have an unused chimney, you can stop heat loss by making sure it has been sealed up properly.
• Rooms in your home that are not in use can suck the heat out of your house – make sure these rooms are properly closed off and vented.
• Covering bare wooden floors can make a change to heat loss, even just by using something as simple as a rug.

It is important to keep yourself warm within your home, you can do this by:

• Several thin layers of clothing will keep you warm rather than one thick one as the layers trap the heat close to your body.
• Take advantage of items such as a hot water bottle, electric blanket, even woolly socks; these can all help keep you warm.

In the daytime, allow sunlight into your house to naturally warm up your home – best of all… it’s free!

When cooking in your home, you can take advantage of the heat your oven makes to keep the kitchen nice and cosy. Simply leave the oven door open as it cools down after you have finished cooking, filling up the room with the excess heat.

An old trick! You can cover your windows with cling film and seal with a hot hair dryer, this will act as an extra barrier against the cold air outside and is particularly useful if temperatures really start to drop!