Keeping your home warm

These changes can help you have a warmer home and save money on your energy bills.

Top tips

We know times are tough, but these top tips could help you save on your energy bills with an estimated annual cost saving.

Insulation is important to reduce the amount of heat lost from your roof, walls and windows
Heating is the biggest energy cost but there are ways to save money and stay warm, by:
- Turning down radiators in rooms you are not using to a low setting
- Turning down the flow temperature on boilers, and
- Keeping rooms you are using at 18^oc
Draughtproofing your home will cut cold draughts and keep the heat in
Use a microwave or air-fryer to cook as they use much less energy
Turning down your heating may reduce energy costs, but it is important to have good indoor ventilation to prevent condensation

More information on how to stay warm at home and cut your energy bills is given below:

We offer support and help whether you are homeless or worried about becoming homeless. We'll give you advice based on your own circumstances.   There are lots of services to help you stay in your current home.  If that's not an option, we can help you to find a different home.  You can look at the advice on this page first and if you've any more questions, you can call 0800 2346084
1. Insulation - Loft Insulation – save around £250 to £450 a year
  
  with up to 270mm of loft insulation.
  
  A quarter of heat is lost through the roof of a home with no insulation. Insulating your loft, attic or flat roof is a great way to stop this and reduce your heating bills. It easy and quick to install. Correctly fitted loft insulation should pay for itself several times in its lifetime (around 40 years).
  
  About half of heat is lost through the walls, doors, and windows of a home with no insulation. Wall insulation can be put inside or outside walls to reduce heat loss. Outside insulation might also protect your home from weather damage and damp.
  
  Save around £32 a year by insulating your windows. Thick and lined curtains will help, and you can use window films – these look like bubble wrap and are easy to fit
We offer support and help whether you are homeless or worried about becoming homeless. We'll give you advice based on your own circumstances.   There are lots of services to help you stay in your current home.  If that's not an option, we can help you to find a different home.  You can look at the advice on this page first and if you've any more questions, you can call 0800 2346084
1. Thermostat and timer – save around £125 a year
  
  Most energy used at home goes on heating. Turning the thermostat down by one degree - from 19°C to 18°C - could save you around £113 a year. An extra £12 a year can be saved by using the timer on your boiler- if it has one - to make sure the heating is off when the house is empty.
  
  Turning down the thermostat is a good way to save money. The Government recommends heating rooms to at least 18°C. Older people and those who are ill or disabled may need it to be warmer.
2. Reduce combi boiler flow temperature – save around £70 a year
  
  If you have a combi boiler, turn down the flow temperature for the water going to your radiators to 60°C.
  
  A higher temperature will heat your home faster, but it could cost more. Combi boilers work better at lower temperatures and will use less gas.
  
  If you have a traditional boiler, with a hot water tank, you could try setting it to 65°C. It's important not to set it any lower than this as bacteria could develop in the water, which will harm your health.
  
  If you want to turn down the flow temperature, the Energy Saving Trust has more tips for doing this.
  
  If you rent your home, you should check with the landlord before changing anything.
3. Radiators – save around £50 a year
  
  Radiators often have valves that control the temperature in each room.
  
  Try turning the valve on radiators in rooms you are not using to a middle setting (usually three of five). This should keep the room between 18°C to 20°C. It could save around £50 per year. Keeping doors closed will keep the heat in the room.
  
  Bleed your radiators regularly to stop air getting trapped inside, which leaves cold spots on your radiators.
4. Draft proofing – save around £95 a year
  
  Stopping draughts keeps warm air in and cold air out during winter. Draughts mostly happen around doors, windows, cabinets, floor cracks, and roofs. As with any room, exclude any draughts, close the windows when it's cold, and put down rugs to insulate the floor.
  
  Most draught-proofing is an easy DIY task. A door snake, weather sealing tape, door and window seals, silicone sealant, and caulk will all cut draughts and save you money.
5. Switch off lights and standby – save around £80 a year
  
  Lights – save around £25 a year
  
  Turn off lights when they don't need to be on. Open your curtains and blinds during the day to let in light. Change to energy saving LED bulbs - you can sometimes get these free from energy advice providers.
  
  Standby – save around £55 a year
  
  Turn your appliances off – not on standby mode.
  
  Almost all electrical appliances can be turned off at the plug without upsetting their programming. You can buy a standby saver or smart plug which allows you to turn all your appliances off standby at once.
  
  Some satellite and digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged to keep track of programmes you want to record. If you are not sure, check the instruction book.
6. Spend less time in the shower – save around £70 a year
  
  Keeping your shower time to four minutes uses less water and could save on your energy bills.
7. Washing – save around £29 a year
  
  Most washing machines have an 'eco' setting that uses less energy than other cycles.
  
  Wash at 30-degrees instead of higher temperatures.
  
  Try to wash full loads and reduce your use by one run per week for a year.
8. Tumble dryer – save around £60 a year
  
  Avoid using a tumble dryer as much as possible: dry clothes outside in dry weather or on racks inside – but remember to open a window to prevent damp.
9. Heating
  
  Keep the rooms you use most, like the living room and bedroom, at a constant temperature of about 18°C.
  
  Turning down radiators in rooms you are not using to a low setting such as 1 or 2 on the thermostatic radiator valve. Close doors in unused rooms, like a spare bedroom. This saves energy and money.
  
  Close curtains when it gets dark and tuck them behind radiators to stops heat loss. Keep windows closed in colder weather.
10. Ventilation and damp
  
  Turning down your heating may reduce energy costs, but it is important to have good indoor ventilation to prevent condensation.
  
  If your house is too cold, it could become damp, which can lead to mould. Mould can cause people to suffer from respiratory illnesses, infections, allergies or asthma. .
  
  Advice on ventilating your home includes:
  
  if you can, leave heating on to keep your home warm all the time (at least 18°C).
  
  open windows for about 10 minutes every day. You can try to leave some windows slightly open for ventilation, for example in the bathroom.
  
  The following things can help:
  
  extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens
  
  Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) in lofts
  
  undercutting internal doors and/or trickle vents on windows
  
  when bathing, showering, cooking food (especially boiling) or drying clothes indoors always open windows and use extractor fans or cooker hoods – if you have them.
11. Sunlight
  
  The winter sun is not as strong as it is in summer, but it still provides warmth. If your rooms are in direct sunlight, open the curtains to let in free heat and stay warm. When it gets dark, close the curtains for extra insulation and to stop cold air coming in through the windows or any gaps.
12. Cooking
  
  If you can, use a slow cooker, microwave or air fryer instead of the oven to cook as they use a lot less energy.
13. Smart meters
  
  Smart meters can help you track your energy use with real time information, so you know what appliances are expensive to use.
14. Energy supplier
  
  Check your energy supplier is giving you a good deal and you are not paying more than the average cost for energy. Shop around and use comparison sites to check for better deals.
15. Submit regular meter readings
  
  If you don't have a smart meter, make sure you update your energy supplier with regular meter readings. If you don't, they estimate your bills, and you could be paying too much or too little!

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Keeping your home warm

These changes can help you have a warmer home and save money on your energy bills.