THE Energy Saving Trust has shared eight practical ways to keep your home warm and energy-efficient this winter.
From draught-proofing to insulation upgrades, each measure comes with typical costs, savings, and payback times to help you make informed choices.
Draught-proofing your home is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save energy.
Around 18% of a home’s heat is lost through windows and a further 3% through doors.
Professional draught-proofing can help seal gaps and maximise efficiency, potentially saving you up to £40 a year.
Another useful step is to insulate your pipes.
Adding foam pipe jackets – known as lagging – not only reduces heat loss but also prevents pipes from freezing and bursting in cold weather.
Pipe insulation costs around £18 to install and can save you about £6 a year.
Bleeding your radiators is also worth doing.
Cold spots caused by trapped air stop radiators from working properly, but a simple radiator key from most DIY stores can fix this.
To boost efficiency further, install reflective panels behind your radiators to bounce heat back into your rooms.
Together, these measures could save you up to £25 a year.
Upgrading your heating controls can make a big difference too.
Room thermostats allow you to maintain a consistent temperature, while programmers let you set heating schedules.
Thermostatic radiator valves give you control over the temperature of individual rooms, so you only heat the spaces you need.
If you don’t currently have these controls, installing them could save you around £110 a year.
If you have a hot water tank, check its insulation.
A jacket thinner than 25mm can be topped up to 80mm to reduce heat loss and save around £40 a year.
Loft insulation is another key area.
Topping up from 120mm to 270mm will help stop warmth escaping through the roof and could save about £20 annually.
Homes with no loft insulation at all could save as much as £230 a year by installing 270mm of new insulation.
Finally, consider wall insulation.
Most homes built after 1920 have cavity walls, which can be insulated to save up to £240 a year.
Older homes built before 1920 usually have solid walls, and insulating these could save around £330 annually.
By taking these steps – from simple DIY fixes to larger home upgrades – you can make your home warmer, lower your energy bills, and reduce your carbon footprint this winter.
