Winter has creeped up on us and with the colder days & darker evenings, many of us are spending more and more time at home.

Take this opportunity to follow our handy tips to care for your home this Winter. A few simple, proactive steps can have a huge impact on not only the efficiency of your property but also minimise costly bills if something goes wrong.

Boiler & fire maintenance

After a relatively mild Autumn, our boilers have been well & truly kick-started this Winter. Therefore, it is important to ensure everything is ticking over nicely and there are no nasty surprises in the coming months. Have your boiler serviced once every 12 months by a qualified engineer and avoid a heftier bill following a breakdown. The same applies to your fire, this is often a forgotten task but a chimney sweep/inspection is an affordable job that will keep everything safe and in check to keep you toasty.

Bleed your radiators & set the thermostat

Did you know that the easiest way to save money on your heating bills is to bleed your radiators. Over time, air collects in your radiators leading to cold spots... this will result in having to keep your heating on for longer or increasing the thermostat in order to feel the heat.

Bleeding your radiators is easy and takes only a matter of minutes.

Once you have done this, set the thermostat to your desired temperature. According to World Health Organisation, your home should remain between 18 & 21 degrees.

Smoke & CO2 Alarms

Have you ever heard of Test It Tuesday? If not, this is a fire safety campaign that everyone should get on board with. Take 5 minutes out of your day every Tuesday and test the smoke and CO2 alarms within your property. If they are faulty, have a qualified engineer fit new ones as soon as possible. Everyone should ensure they have at least one working smoke alarm on each floor of their property and if you have an open fire and/or boiler inside your home, a CO2 alarm must be present in each room with a gas/fire appliance.

This quick and easy step has and will always save lives.

Check your guttering

As the leaves fall from trees, moss forms on the roof and wind blows debris in the air, the most favourable place for these to land are gutterings. Over time this can cause all kinds of problems from leaks to damaged piping. If you are in any way handy & good with heights, this is something you can do yourself. Otherwise there are local companies that will clear your gutterings and give them a spruce for an affordable price.

Insulation

With heat rising, almost 25% of heat loss within a property is through the roof if not properly insulated. Dig out the stepladder and do an inspection of your own roof space, you won’t be disappointed. Having the correct loft insulation in place is an effective way to reduce heat loss and in turn reduce your heating bills.

The specific type and depth of insulation required for your home will vary from others so it is best to do some research and speak with a professional.