Simple DIY that will reduce your bills

We may have finally escaped the cold winter weather, but it’ll certainly be back in a few months and now’s the time to think about ways to counter the drop in temperature.

Unfortunately, when the temperature plummets your energy bills rise. It’s almost inevitable.

You don’t have to put up with this though, because there are some excellent ways to improve your home and make it more energy efficient.

And you won’t need to call in a company either, as many are capable with simple DIY.

So let’s take a look at some of the areas in your home which could do with some attention:

Doors and windows

Door proofing
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One of the biggest problems with many properties around the country is inefficiency. What does this mean? Heat produced in the home is lost through the windows, the walls and the doors. Keeping this heat inside the home instead is a no brainer. If you can feel a draught for instance, heat is being lost.

So this should be your first port of call. Locate any draught spots around windows and doors and seal them up with either tape or filling. Even investing in thicker curtains for the winter can have a significant difference in the amount of warmth which is allowed to escape.

Of course, if you have old windows then double glazing would be of real benefit. It will set you back more and you’ll need a professional fitter, but you’ll save a fortune on bills.

A draught stopper can be bought for heat leaking doors too and they come in many shapes and sizes. All you need to do is kick it into place when the door is closed.

Consider replacing your front door if it’s old and worn too because not only will you benefit from better thermal insulation, but the security, durability and weather resistance will also be drastically improved.

Heating thermostats and insulation

Picture 2
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Ok, so the thermostat isn’t exactly a DIY project, but it’s certainly worth considering if you’re keen to slash bills. Smart thermostats are the gadgets you should be looking at as they waste less money by not heating uninhabited rooms.

Insulation for your pipes and boiler though is different and you can easily fit this yourself. Invest in a boiler jacket which will simply fit over the immersion heater and pipe insulation slides over the exposed pipework.

Loft and wall insulation

Loft insulation
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Of the two, it’s loft insulation which is achievable with a bit of DIY. Why do you need loft insulation? It’s an easy enough question to answer as heat naturally rises. So the last thing you want is all the heat generated to escape through the roof.

Loft lagging is the perfect solution and comes in strips which can be packed into the attic floor. It’s recommended to have lagging up to 270mm in thickness to benefit from greatest savings. Hard to access lofts may need specialist attention though so always think about this.

Wall insulation will be fitted by an expert though. The chances are your home has cavity walls, meaning there’s a space between the inner and outer wall. This space is the cavity and is filled with insulation foam to help lock heat in the property. Experts drill holes into the walls at certain points and proceed to fill the gap.

Tom

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