Keeping your Home Warm on a Budget

The winter months are fast approaching, and we’re already feeling the autumnal nip in the air, replacing the lengthy summer evenings. It’s time we started thinking about insulating our homes, but this isn’t always easy if we don’t have a lot of money set aside for cavity wall insulation or brand new thick carpets placed throughout the house. If you want to stay warm this winter but have a limited budget, fear not! This advice is just for you.

Firstly, sometimes DIY efforts can be the best. Draught excluders from shops can be unnecessarily pricey, but the good news is that it’s easy to make your own. Take an old knee-length sock and stuff it with old cushion filler, fabric remnants or even cotton wool, and add a small paperweight or a similar object to weigh it down. Stitch up the open end of the sock and voila! Your very own draught excluder to sit along the bottom of the door and keep out the winter chill.

Speaking of doors, they can often play a significant role in the battle against the cold. If your door doesn’t shut properly, it could be for a number of reasons. Perhaps the flooring beneath it is uneven and it is sticking, or the wood has become swollen in the moist air found in bathrooms and kitchens. It may also be because of the hinges, so if oiling them up to allow easier movement of the door doesn’t work, you should think about replacing them with quality iron hinges which will stand the test of time.

Also, the more fabric in a room, the warmer it tends to be. This means adding throws, cushions and rugs to retain the heat more effectively, especially in rooms with lots of windows. Switching wooden blinds to a heavy fabric can also hold the cold back, and can be a good solution if you can’t afford to get the windows in a room double glazed.

Sometimes it can just be about layering up rather than switching on the central heating. Why spend lots of money on your bills when you can simply put on an extra jumper? Gas bills are expensive enough as it is without splurging money on them unnecessarily, so keep the layers coming. It also gives you an opportunity to show off all your finest winter jumpers without having a nasty shock when your next energy bill arrives.