We’re mere days away from Christmas, and it certainly feels cold enough to be a white one! While I love to see all the decorations that come out around this time of year, I’m not such a big fan of feeling absolutely freezing! Obviously, you’re going to want to keep your home as warm as possible through the winter, but I’m sure you don’t want to spend a small fortune doing it! Here are a few quick tips to stay toasty for less.
Clean Out Filters Regularly
The filters and vents on your home’s appliances help them to run efficiently. Over time, the filters on your washing machine, electrical heaters, and other appliances can build up dirt and dust. This means that the machine as a whole has to work harder to run properly, and therefore consume more energy. If it’s been a while since you had a look at the filters on any of your appliances, take the time to do a quick whip round and check if they need cleaning. Cleaning or replacing appliance filters should be done fairly regularly to keep the bills down, so make sure you’re making this something of a habit.
Wrap Windows
When I first left home and moved into a house share, I remember being pretty confused when my
mum called me and asked if I had wrapped my windows. After a little explaining, it made much more sense! Houses, particularly older ones with outdated models of windows, can lose a lot of heat through the glass in the colder months. If you wanted a permanent fix, you could invest in installing a completely new set of energy-efficient windows. True, this takes a pretty big up-front investment. However, it will pay for itself in no time in terms of the reduced heating bills. Of course, after buying Christmas dinner and all the presents, you may not be in much of a position to replace all the windows in your home. A more affordable alternative is wrapping the windows; using plastic wrap to cover the whole window on the interior, thereby keeping out the cold air and retaining the heat inside.
Dig Out the Fans
Another great way to save on your energy bill is to get the fans out you were using through summer. Don’t worry, I haven’t gone mad! Keeping your fans on and at a low setting through colder weather will help to circulate hot air through the whole home. This, hopefully, will stop your irresponsible teenager from getting chilly and turning the radiators all the way up! Because the heat from your central heating rises, it’s best to keep the fans as high as possible. Even better, turn any ceiling fans onto a low setting and have them spin anti-clockwise. This may sound too small to do anything, but with the other tips it will make a noticeable difference to your energy bills.
If the figure on your heating bills was making winter seem even more gloomy, I hope these tips have helped you out!
-Dana
Carry on Beautiful! 