Keep Warm in winter: Use Your Radiators Wisely

Heating the home is at a premium during the winter, and although modern designer radiators are highly energy-efficient, the householder will almost certainly be facing higher energy bills over the season. The mornings are the worst time for most people, faced with a freezing house which has been steadily losing heat overnight, so on come the radiators and damn the consequences!

Whether you have traditional cast-iron radiators, aluminium models or the very latest energy-saving designer radiators, every householder will be seeking ways to minimise the extra expense of keeping their home warm throughout the winter, and luckily there are many tactics that can be employed to save heat and not switch on your radiators unnecessarily.

One good thing to do at the start of the colder season (or of course at any time during it) is to make an assessment of the amount of time that people in your home spend in various rooms. Some rooms are hardly used at all, except very briefly at specific times of the day, or week. Others are in regular use, especially in the winter, when families and house-mates tend to 'huddle' in the evenings in front of the TV, and single people or lone couples stay in the bedroom to keep cosy. Work out which are the most popular rooms in the house and turn off the radiators in those that people spend only brief times in. buying a portable oil-filled radiator can be a useful move if you want those occasional visits to the less well-used rooms to be more comfortable.

When spending the night in a winter home, ensure that beds are well-draped with covers and duvets and bathrobes and dressing gowns are as snug and fluffy as possible. Everybody wants to be warm when going to bed. Being well wrapped-up at night means there is less temptation to pop the radiators on and so significant savings can be made to a household's heating bills.

Insulation is the other big thing to consider. A well-insulated home is not only more energy-efficient, it is also a warmer environment with less chilly draughts. Although the up-front costs can seem high, the peace of mind, cosiness and the long-term reduction in energy bills will more than make it worthwhile. There are also various schemes and subsidies related to insulation, either at a national or local government level, or promotions by private firms, which are a good idea to look into.