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5 Tips for Staying Warm this Winter

Winter is here, whispered Sansa Stark to Jon Snow and they might as well have been talking directly to us when she muttered those three famous words. While our winter probably won’t feature White Walkers or thousand-foot-tall ice walls, we can all attest to the fact that it’s cold.

As the air cools down it can be difficult to stay comfortable in your castle. That’s why it’s always best to get ahead of the chill and have your home fully prepared for the cooler climes of winter when you can.

Here are our five quick tips for beating the cold at home:

1. Use your curtains effectively

As the air cools down it can be difficult to stay comfortable in your castle.
In winter, your curtains aren’t just there to look pretty. Up to 40 per cent of your home’s heat can be lost through your windows, and drapes are you last line of defense.

When it’s cold inside, keep them shut as they’ll help to trap the heat in where it’s needed. On the other hand, if the sun’s beating down, make the most of it and keep your curtains open. That’s the best free heating you can get!

2. Block out draughts

Hopefully your home is well insulated but if it’s not there are a couple of do-it-yourself suggestions that may help.  If you are feeling a draught under a door, a simple solution could be a sausage dog in front of the door way to help.  Draughts around windows and doors can be addressed with self-adhesive rubber seals around doors and windows and are relatively cheap and easy to install.

3. Keep everything closed

This one seems simple, but you’d be surprised by how often it’s forgotten.  When you’re heating a room, the doors should always be shut tight to keep the warmth in.

By following this rule you’ll increase the efficiency of your heating as you’ll only be warming a small space – rather than your entire house.  You can increase the efficiency of your heating even further by popping a few under-door seals on your doors

4. Focus on people, not your home

The key to staying warm this winter is to remember to focus on warming people not your home.  Heating an entire house will cost you thousands, but keeping people warm is far easier and more efficient.

Invest in snug blankets for the living room and get the whole family inside before shutting the doors and cranking the heat. Staying warm can be a great excuse for a bit of family time.

5. Heater checks

Every heater is not created equal – some will suck power and blow out cold air, while others will be ultra-efficient and effective. Obviously, you want the latter type in your home, but it can be hard to inspect it yourself.  If you can see dust on any vents or when you open your Reverse Cycle Unit, cleaning these out will go a long way to ensuring that the machine can run as efficiently as possible.

If you have portable appliances and are in doubt of how they’re running, get your heating appliances inspected by a licensed electrician at the beginning of every winter season. If one has a problem or isn’t running efficiently, they’ll be able to identify the problem and fix it – which could shave hundreds or even thousands off your heating bill.

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