by London always loses its temper when we get the slightest bit of snow, but subzero temperatures are no slouch.
With energy bills rising (again) and a cost-of-living crisis, it might be tempting to turn off the heating and put on another sweater – but that could have serious consequences for your health and yours. your home
Government guidelines recommend that the indoor temperature should be kept between 18 and 21 degrees to create the minimum risk to your health.
The best temperature for a good night’s sleep is also to keep your bedroom at 18 degrees.
If the temperature drops below freezing, your pipes run the risk of freezing. Water in a pipe can turn to ice in as little as six hours, risking expensive plumber calls or worse – flooding.
Here are quick fixes and longer-term (eco-friendly) solutions to keep your home warm, whether you own it or rent it.
Block those drafts
Fans of lüften, the German art of airing your own home, may protest, but now is the time to make sure your home is tightly sealed. Don’t let the cold wind get in through the nooks and crannies , suggests a property and TV expert. Presenter Kunle Barker.
“If you’re renting your home or not renovating it, don’t despair. There are still things you can do,” he says. A typical UK home can lose up to 30 per cent of its heat to drafts. One tip for finding a guilty window or door, says Barker, is to run a wet hand around the edges.
“If you don’t have double glazing, install a secondary glazing film.”
You can then place a draft excluder or use tape to seal the gap over the offending area. B&Q sells draft-free self-adhesive tape for £4.79 for 5.5 meters — that’s 80p per metre.
“If you don’t have double glazing, install a secondary glazing film,” says interior expert Johanna Thornhill. if you are a thrifty home owner or renter with a lenient landlord, plugging themselves with “a simple mixture of sawdust and flexible wood glue such as PVA”.
An unused chimney could be sucking the nice warm air out of your home, says Ruth Bloomfield.
Consumer group Which?
Grab a space heater deal
As long as you’re not letting the house get so cold your pipes freeze (see below), a space heater is a cost-effective way to heat just the room you’re in.
They come in all shapes and sizes, so consider the space you’re trying to heat before you click on add-ons.
“If your home has an open-plan design, you’ll need something with more firepower to heat the air quickly,” says Abha Shah of the Evening Standard.
If your home has an open plan design, you’ll need something bigger with firepower.”
“A tower heater can cascade heat from medium to low levels and is an inconspicuous design that sits in the corner. Bladeless versions operate at such a frenzy that it’s hardly worth remembering they’re on.
“And floor heaters are equipped with timer functions so you don’t have to worry about accidentally leaving it on overnight.”
Here are some of the best space heaters on the market right now.
Stop pipes from freezing
It sounds counter-intuitive, but if you’re in a pinch on the coldest days leaving your cold tap running a bit will stop solids from freezing.
With a little advance preparation, you can buy some jackets for your pipes from a DIY store.
If they are internal pipes but inside a cupboard, open the doors to make sure hot air can reach them.
Signs to look out for a frozen pipe are reduced water flow from your taps and, if you can lay eyes on the offending pipes, significant bulging or a layer of frost indicates you may have a problem.
This is a good point to call a plumber, but if you want to DIY your way out, the most important thing is to check that your pipes haven’t already burst.
If they are still intact, use hot towels or a hair dryer to carefully apply heat to the pipes while keeping the faucet running.
Upgrade your insulation
All of the above are short-term fixes but if you want to prepare for the next cold snap, homeowners need to consider insulation.
Keeping the heat inside your home and outside will reduce your energy bills, says Barker.
“If you are renovating your home, upgrading your insulation is a great way to keep your energy costs low. This will protect your home in the future,” he says.
“The average three-bedroom semi-detached house will cost between £8,500 and £15,000 to insulate the outside and £5,000 to £7,000 to insulate the inside.”
You should prioritize this before you open source a heat pump, says Barker, but doing so will save you more money in the long run.
“Heat pumps work best in well-insulated homes and require a third of the energy to run compared to a gas boiler. All this strange extreme weather in the first place.
