Winter

No one likes to think adverse weather conditions will hit them, but Britain’s climate is often unpredictable so it’s wise to be ready for anything! Make sure you’re able to clear your paths and driveways in snowy weather by having a shovel (or even better a snow shovel) available, as well as an adequate supply of salt and grit. It’s also worth insulating your pipes as this will keep heat in and reduce the chances of them freezing in a cold snap. You could also add an insulation jacket to your boiler, these are inexpensive and can help to save you money on your heating bills. If you have a little extra cash to spare why not also look in to double glazing your property? This may be fairly costly initially but will keep your home warmer and more secure throughout the year, so it’s sure to pay for itself fairly quickly. You might also like to look in to insulating your roof and walls or draught proofing your home. You might be surprised at just how much hot air is escaping through a little gap under your door. Of course, easy improvements can be made by keeping windows and doors closed, using a draught excluder, taking advantage of brighter spells to let light heat a room naturally and drawing curtains once the sun goes down.

Keep yourself warm

Energy bills can rocket in winter but it’s important to make sure you stay warm enough. There are ways to achieve this without needing to leave the central heating on all day. Make sure you wear layers of clothing around the house and in really chilly conditions cover up with a blanket or your duvet. It’s also important to stay healthy so give yourself enough exercise and make sure you eat a hot meal each day. If you’re out of the house during the day consider turning down the thermostat by a couple of degrees. This should keep things ticking over nicely and you can always turn it up again once you get home. The same applies to your bedroom, as if you’d rather not fork out for heating the whole property all day long then simply make sure it’s warm enough for when you’re ready to get your head down for the night.