Preparing for winter: energy saving tips

We all want our homes to be warm and snug this winter - while keeping heating bills to the minimum. The solution? Make a few little changes so no energy goes to waste. Here are our tips for a warmer, greener winter...

Heating your home is a necessary part of the British winter, but it can be expensive. Don't resign yourself to chilly rooms and big bills - just make sure you're heating efficiently.

With a little preparation you can cut your heating bills and settle in for a snug, green Christmas. Plus we've got other great ideas for being eco-friendly in the run up to winter.

Fine-tune your central heating
Bleed your radiators
Insulate your loft and walls
Check for draughts
Get your boiler serviced
Compost those autumn leaves
Remember to switch off your lights

Fine-tune your central heating

Heating controls can keep your rooms at a comfortable temperature without wasting energy. Make sure you have a full set of heating controls - you could save around 15% of your heating bill.

Set your thermostat at the lowest comfortable temperature - typically between 18°C and 21°C. Lowering your thermostat by just 1°C could save you around £40 a year.

Use a programmer to set when the heating and hot water come on and go off again. By installing a programmer and heating your home and hot water only when necessary, you'll save energy and money.

Use thermostatic radiator valves - they sense the air temperature around them and regulate the flow of hot water entering the radiators to keep a set temperature in a room.

Set your heating to suit your routine - for example, if you work from 9am-5pm set your heating controls to come on for a few hours in the morning and again for when you arrive home in the evening.

Find out more about heating controls

Bleed your radiators

Bleeding your radiators - releasing any air trapped in them - improves your heating efficiency instantly. Hot water can flow into every part of the radiator, so it does a better job of warming your room.

It's easy to bleed a radiator. First turn off your heating and let the radiators cool. Then put your "bleed key" into the valve at the top of the radiator and turn it to release the air. Make sure you have a cloth or bowl to hand - once the air is released a little water may spray out.

Insulate your loft and walls

Full loft insulation could save you up to £205 per year, cavity wall insulation around £160 per year and solid wall insulation up to £500 per year. Plus there are plenty of grants and offers available for loft and cavity wall insulation to help you with the initial investment.

Find out more:

Check for draughts

It's horrible sitting in a draught - and it means heat is escaping from your home, wasting valuable energy. Walk around your home on a windy day and work out where the draughts are coming from.

Look for:

badly fitting windows
gaps around doors
letterboxes without draught excluding brushes
gaps in floorboards

Find out more about draught proofing your home

Get your boiler serviced

To make sure your heating is safe and efficient, get your boiler serviced once a year. Schedule the service for autumn, so there's still time to organise repairs before the cold weather sets in.

Unserviced boilers can release dangerous carbon monoxide. Read the Fire Service's carbon monoxide safety advice

If your boiler needs replacing, go for an energy efficient condensing boiler - you could cut your heating bills by 30% immediately.

Find out more about condensing boilers

Compost those autumn leaves

Make your own compost and you'll slim your bin and save trips to the garden centre. Start a compost heap while there are plenty of autumn leaves to put in it.

Read tips for autumn composting

Remember to switch off your lights

On dark winter evenings we switch on the light whenever we go into a room - but make sure you switch it off again when you leave. And if you haven't changed to energy saving light bulbs yet, give them a try.