The colder months of the year are a time for celebration for most families across the US. In November and December, there are countless events and celebrations to enjoy. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to lose yourself in the festive season when you’re constantly worrying about the huge bills that await you at the end of the month.
When you combine the cost of gifts and food with the expenses associated with keeping your electricity and gas running through the winter, it’s easy to see how expensive winter can become. The good news is that there are ways you can hack your home to make life a little more affordable.
Close your Curtains
When you’re dealing with a mammoth energy bill, a tip as simple as “close your curtains” might seem a little too basic to make a real difference to your finances. However, the truth is that using a set of curtains will help to keep the heat in and stop draughts from coming through your windows each night. If you’re hanging curtains in front of walls that have radiators on them, tuck the fabric behind the radiator so that the heat can get through to you.
There’s even the option to invest in specially-made thermal curtains that have been specifically created to improve the warmth and insulation in your room. Just make sure that you open your curtains when the sun is shining to let natural heat in too.
Upgrade your Heating Systems
When all you want to do is save money, spending cash on a new boiler cost and thermostat might sound a little counterproductive. However, it can actually pay off in the long-term. If you know that your boiler is past its best, getting a loan to pay for a new one now means that you can spread the cost of replacing the item out over an extended period of time.
This is often a much more affordable route than waiting for your boiler to break down, then having to call for an emergency service to come out and fix it. Most of the time, you’ll end up having to buy a new boiler anyway, with extra service fees on top. You can also consider boiler finance plans too, these are offered by various lenders and allow you to pay for your boiler in monthly installments.
Be Clever with your Radiators
Speaking about using your heating systems properly, if you’ve got rooms in your home that you don’t generally spend much time in, try turning off the radiators in that space or setting them to the lowest level. This will mean that you can avoid paying to heat the whole house, when you really only want to keep one specific room warm.
In the rooms that you are using, do your best to keep all of the radiators and heaters in your space clear from any furniture, otherwise the heat will be pushed into the back of your furniture, rather than being directed towards you and your family.
Ditch the Draughts
If you live in an older building, there’s a good chance that you have at least a few draughty areas. If you can feel every gust of wind blowing into your home through cracks around your windows and doors during the winter months, getting rid of those gaps could be the key to transforming your home.
Start off by using a draught excluder to stop the breeze from blowing under your doors – even a rolled up sheet or towel can make a huge difference here. You can also seal the gaps in your floors and skirting boards using basic caulk sealant. If your draughts are coming from something specific, like your letter box, try using a specialist draught excluder to block that.
Change Energy Suppliers
Finally, if no matter what you do, it seems like you’re always spending too much during the winter months, the problem could be that you’re with the wrong energy supplier. A lot of families stay with the same energy supplier year after year, simply because they can’t be bothered with using a comparison website to help them find a better offer. However, if you stick with the same company for too long, you could be losing money as a result.
Start by checking out the current tariff that you’re on, then start shopping around with popular companies to see what might be available elsewhere. You could save hundreds on your bill in a matter of minutes just by entering a few basic details about your energy usage into an online form.
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