As temperatures drop, staying warm and cozy indoors becomes a top priority for many. While concerns about gas and electricity prices linger, there are numerous effective strategies to ensure energy efficiency during the colder months.
Renowned professional organizer and TV personality, Dilly Carter, shares some quick and practical tasks to prepare your home for winter. According to Dilly, a great starting point is installing a smart meter provided by your energy supplier at no extra cost. This device allows you to monitor your energy consumption in real-time, helping you identify areas where you can reduce usage.
When it comes to the living room, Dilly emphasizes the importance of preventing heat loss as a key energy-saving measure. She suggests using draft excluders at door bottoms, letterboxes, chimneys, and window seals. Additionally, investing in thicker curtains or curtain liners can help retain heat, especially around windows. Placing rugs on cold floors, particularly over draughty floorboards, can also improve insulation.
To optimize central heating efficiency, Dilly recommends utilizing the heating timer to operate only when necessary. Understanding the time required to heat your home and the duration it remains warm after heating is turned off can help reduce energy wastage.
In terms of lighting, Dilly advises using lamps to create a warm ambiance and reminds homeowners to switch off lights in unoccupied rooms. Replacing old halogen bulbs with energy-efficient LED alternatives can significantly reduce lighting costs.
Dilly emphasizes the simplicity of keeping your home warmer without extravagant expenses. By identifying and addressing sources of cold air infiltration, such as draughts, and ensuring effective radiator performance, households can enhance energy efficiency without major investments in high-tech solutions.
It’s crucial to note that eligibility for certain measures may vary, and the figures displayed on smart meters are for demonstrative purposes only.