Winter proofing your home

 October 05, 2017

If you are going to the trouble of checking or servicing your Heating tank or Oil Boiler, it’s always advisable to check your home for any ways to reduce heat loss and lower your heating cost. We have put together a few tips to help you prepare your home for a typical British winter.

Turn down the thermostat

It might sound too good to be true, but turning your thermostat down just 1° could save you up to 10% off your annual fuel bills.

Wrap up your home

Adding just 270mm of insulation to your loft could look to save £180 a year and also 730kg of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. What’s more is the fact that it takes as little as two years to pay for itself. Cavity wall insulation is an excellent way of keeping the energy within your home and saving the build-up of condensation. With an annual saving of up to £140, you can’t lose.

Repair any draughts

Repair any gaps in windows or doors that are allowing draughts into your home. Any unnecessary heat loss will mean it takes longer to heat your home, leading to increased bills and energy waste. Small air leaks around your window can easily be fixed by filling them with the appropriate chalks or foams.

Double glazing cheats

If you’re reluctant to spend money on double glazing, you can buy double glazing film or stretch wrap that will do the same job for a fraction of the price.

Usually available from your local DIY store, it can be attached to windows and doors to trap the hot air in the house.

Ordering your Heating Oil early

Historically, the price of Heating Oil is lower before the colder weather arrives, so it’s a great time to get stocked up for winter. Not only will you benefit from lower prices, but as demand is also less your delivery could arrive faster than during the winter month when companies are extremely busy and battling bad weather conditions. You can check our current Heating Oil Prices on our free, instant quote tool

Oil Boiler servicing

Ensuring that your Oil Boiler is regularly serviced will mean that it’s running at its full potential which could lower your bills in the long run. Our OFTEC qualified engineers (available in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and East Coast of Scotland) carry out work to the highest standard at all times. During the service, our engineers will clean the boiler heat exchanger and flue ways, clean oil burner and replace the nozzle, check and replace oil filter, inspect fuel tank, reassemble, and perform a full combustion test. You can find out more and book a service on our Heating Services web page

It's the little things

• It might be easily overlooked, but insulating even your letterbox can save around 27% of the hallways heat per year.
• Buying curtains with thermal linings can stop heat and energy escaping through your window.
• We often get the odd day during October and November that are lovely and sunny, so make sure any blinds or curtains are open to let in the natural warmth of the sun.
• Shut the doors of any rooms that aren’t regularly used, you could also turn off the radiators in that room to save wasted fuel.
• If you’re tempted to turn up the heating, try putting an extra layer of clothes on and see how you get on.