Frosty mornings, dark evenings and cold temperatures are just around the corner with Christmas approaching fast. And with that in mind, there is nothing better than entering a warm and welcoming home after a long day out in the cold. 

In Britain, most people switch their central heating from October and put it to good use until as late as April. Heating homes across the country accounts for over 70% of household energy consumption, so you might be wondering how can you cut your energy bills whilst still living in a warm home during the holiday season. 

To help you, we’ve come up with seven simple tricks that you can do starting from today to make your house cosy and warm for little or no extra costs. 

1. Block out cold draughts

A simple solution to keep the cold air from coming inside your home is to make a sausage dog draught excluder and place it under your doors and windows. To winter-proof your home like a pro, you can buy one from a shop, or you can even make your own. Bring your little ones along and turn this into a fun crafting activity to do with them by getting creative and playful. 

Another good tip? Get some self-adhesive rubber seals and put then around your doors and windows. They are very cheap and straightforward to instal, so it’s worth getting your doors and windows sealed before the colder season starts. 

2. Open your curtains

As obvious as it might seem, many people miss the natural heat from the sun by closing their curtains. During the day, the sunlight can warm up the rooms cost-free, so why not leave them wide open? After the sun goes down, you can shut them back as they will act as another layer of insulation, and in return, they’ll give you a warm house during the cold nights.

3. Set timers on central heating

Our tip is to program your boiler to turn the heating on just before you wake up in the morning. However, make sure you set it up at a lower temperature, not straight to a high one as it will be more expensive. And even more important, don’t leave your heating on a low temperature during the whole day, as this will result in you paying a large heating bill when it wasn’t needed. 

We think you should save all that money on buying presents for your loved ones for Christmas, sounds better, don’t you think? 

4. Move your furniture

Despite wanting to have a perfectly arranged and decorated room, simple mistakes could cause you money, such as having your couch in front of the radiator. Having furniture in front of heating sources means that the objects will absorb the heat instead of permitting it to warm up your home. 

By moving the furniture away from the radiators, the hot air will be able to circulate freely all-around your house. Tip? The same goes for anything else that could obstruct the heat to reach the rooms such as curtains, drying clothes or electronics. 

5. Put a floating shelf above the radiators

A smart way in which you can keep your house warm in the winter is by placing floating shelves above a radiator. By doing so, you will be able to control the heat flow around the rooms, as it will stop the heat from rising to the ceiling, a place where warmth is not much needed. Especially if you have kids or pets, we are sure that they’ll be much happier to play and sit around in a warmer house.

6. Use warm rugs

Another quick-fix house warming solution is to place a rug (or more) on the floors, especially on the ones that are colder like the bathrooms and kitchens. We’ve heard that layering up rugs of different colours, materials and shapes seem to be a trend nowadays. This will give you peace of mind in case you try to find the perfect rug size to cover the whole floor, as you can simply grab a couple and mix them up to make your house look and feel cosier. 

7. Check your windows and doors

No matter how old your windows and doors are, small cracks and damages can make their way in without getting noticed at any time. These will allow cold draughts to enter your home and lower the temperature no matter your efforts in keeping it warm. Not only your heating bill will go up, but you and your loved ones won’t be able to enjoy the warmth and cosiness that you desire during Christmas. So to make sure you avoid that, let a specialist team have their say and evaluate your windows and doors to give you the best recommendations as needed. 

At Midlands Bi-folds, we have a wide range of windows and doors that you can choose from, and our expert installers can assist you in finding the perfect windows and doors to complement your home before the cold weather kicks in.

Contact us today or simply give us a call on 0116 266 5088 to find out how we can help.