This Month’s Top Tip

When winters shadowy fingers first pursue you down the street, …” * – it’s way past time to think about making your house warmer and more energy efficient. But it’s never too late to start.

You’ve already draft proofed the house of course. You’ve either installed the latest double glazing or upgraded your existing windows with secondary glazing, and of course you do draw those nice thick curtains when it starts to get dark.

Loft

And your loft has a nice 275mm layer of insulation, doesn’t it?

Is your loft hatch draught proofed and insulated? If not, an old trick was to place an old rug, so it covered the hatch when closed. Adding a layer of insulation on top of that would help too. Or, splash out on getting a new insulated and tight-fitting loft hatch fitted.

Radiators

Do you have any radiators mounted on an external wall?

If so, and unless that wall is really well insulated, a good proportion of the heat you have paid for is leaking straight through that wall and heating the garden! Modern practice is to mount radiators on internal walls but moving them can be messy and costly. A simple fix is to put a reflective foil on the wall behind the radiator.

If you have a hot water cylinder, think about getting a cylinder jacket. These are worth it even if your cylinder is already foam covered as standard. Cylinder jackets are cheap and will pay back in energy saving within a year.

I hope some of these tips are useful to start with. There is a whole list of very easy, pragmatic steps you can do to save energy, reduce bills and do your bit for climate change too.

If you would like to do more, why not pop into the BRDT office and ask for the HEAT team. We can provide unbiased advice on the spot or come out a do a free energy survey.

*WIN A FREE 100-WATT LED BULB!

The first person who comes into the BRDT office and tells me (Martin) where that line comes from will win a 100-Watt LED bulb.