A warm home and a cool head: 5 top tips to beat the energy price rise

The clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in and the first signs of Christmas are adorning the shop fronts – winter is well and truly on its way.  But for many of us, this year’s holiday cheer is being dampened by news of rising energy costs and worries of the implications for our heating bills.  With the ‘big six’ energy companies including British Gas and EDF Energy all announcing rises of up to 18%, it’s no wonder that so many of us are searching for a solution.

The struggle is often not heating your home, but keeping that heat in.  A huge proportion of heat can be lost through windows and under doors, as the image below shows.

So, to help you on your way, we’ve come up with 5 top tips to keeping your home warm, keeping your heating bills down and keeping your spirits high!

1) Don’t invite the cold in! Draught-proof your front door by adding a door brush; particularly useful in windy conditions.  Consider getting a door curtain – not only will this reduce the draughts coming in and the warm air getting out, a door curtain can add a real cosiness to your hallway.

2) Fill in the gaps! If your radiator is directly below your window, tuck the edges of your curtains onto the window sill.  This will prevent the hot air from the radiator escaping straight out behind your curtains.  Alternatively, you could invest in a radiator cover to ensure that heat is directed out, into the room.

3) Safeguard your windows! Opt for lined and interlined curtains to keep the draughts from coming in. Interlinings act as an extra insulation layer within the curtains. To be twice as prepared, add a blind behind your curtains.

4) Pick a pelmet! Not only do pelmets provide an excellent finishing touch to your window dressing, they can also reduce the amount of heat lost when hot air that has risen begins to cool and fall.

5) Bathrooms and kitchens! In rooms where you may not have curtains such as bathrooms or kitchens, consider installing blinds.  They may be less effective insulators than curtains, but they should certainly make some difference.  Avoid slatted blinds and opt for roman styles.

Plumbs offer made-to-measure curtains and blinds in a beautiful range of designs, so you can keep warm and you won’t have to compromise on style.

Thermal Imaging picture taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa/energy/heatrev3.shtml