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Local business directory and community magazine.
Local business directory and community magazine.
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Get Cosy<br />
this Christmas...<br />
With Christmas around the corner,<br />
now is a good time to think about<br />
getting your home ready for winter.<br />
No-one wants to be sitting down for<br />
Christmas dinner without any heating<br />
or hot water.<br />
So what can you do to make your<br />
home warm and cosy at Christmas?<br />
BOILER & CENTRAL<br />
HEATING<br />
If your boiler hasn’t been serviced<br />
regularly then now could be the<br />
time to start. British Gas and many<br />
other energy companies offer a<br />
Homecare package that you can opt<br />
to pay for monthly. Many plumbers<br />
also offer a boiler service for about<br />
£60. It’s worth shopping around and<br />
seeing what your options are.<br />
Currently, the big energy providers<br />
are offering to replace your broken<br />
or faulty boiler with a brand-new<br />
energy-efficient one. You don’t<br />
need to be on benefits to access<br />
this money. You will need to pay<br />
a contribution of £240. Be quick<br />
though before all of the grant money<br />
runs out!<br />
DRAUGHTS<br />
They are one of those annoying<br />
things that can really have a<br />
noticeable effect on the temperature<br />
inside your house. If you have any<br />
gaps in windows, doors, floors and<br />
other junctions, it’s a good idea<br />
to get them filled. Depending on<br />
where they are, you can either do<br />
this yourself or get a handyperson in<br />
to do this for you.<br />
Sausage dog draught excluders<br />
are also a cheap option for doors.<br />
Lining curtains and drawing them<br />
in the evenings will also help keep<br />
that precious heat in.<br />
CHIMNEYS<br />
Is your chimney open? If you don’t<br />
use a fire then you could be losing a<br />
lot of heat up the chimney. You can<br />
buy a chimney balloon for £15 from<br />
DIY shops. There is also a product<br />
called Chimney Sheep which is a<br />
breathable insulation. Remember,<br />
your chimney needs to breathe.<br />
If you block it up completely, you<br />
should still ensure that there is an air<br />
vent. You want to encourage warm<br />
air from the room to be sucked up<br />
through the chimney to get rid<br />
of any moisture and dampness.<br />
Even though your chimney may be<br />
capped at the top, it should still have<br />
a vent to enable air to escape.<br />
FLOORS<br />
Chances are, if your home is not<br />
a new-build, the floor may not<br />
be insulated. Most houses have a<br />
suspended timber floor, which can<br />
be draughty and make your room<br />
feel very cold.<br />
Depending on how easy it is to<br />
access, you might want to consider<br />
insulating this. If you can’t access<br />
underneath the floor, then removing<br />
the existing floor boards will be time<br />
consuming and costly. However, if<br />
you do insulate then fill between<br />
the joists with Kingspan insulation.<br />
Don’t insulate over the joists,<br />
unless you plan to use wood-fibre<br />
insulation. Check that your airvents<br />
around the property are also<br />
clear to ensure adequate airflow.<br />
When timber gets wet, it will start to<br />
rot and/or you may get woodworm.<br />
If you are planning on having a new<br />
carpet and don’t want to pull your<br />
floor boards up (or you have a solid<br />
concrete floor), then you can install<br />
a thin layer of insulation before you<br />
install your carpet and underlay.<br />
Speak to your local carpet shop,<br />
or you can buy a pack at B&Q to<br />
lay yourself. This will help seal the<br />
drafts and give you some respite<br />
from the cold air beneath your feet.<br />
LOFT & CAVITY-WALL<br />
INSULATION<br />
You can lose up to a quarter of the<br />
heat in your home through your<br />
uninsulated loft. By installing at least<br />
270mm of mineral fibre insulation,<br />
you could save up to £300 per year.<br />
The large energy companies offer<br />
an ECO grant (Energy Companies<br />
Obligation Scheme). If you are on<br />
benefits, you may qualify for free<br />
loft and cavity wall insulation.<br />
HELP WITH FUEL COSTS<br />
The government provide a oneoff<br />
tax free Winter Fuel Payment<br />
between £100 and £300. If you are<br />
eligible, you should have received a<br />
letter from the government, telling<br />
you how much you will get. In<br />
very cold weather, you may also be<br />
eligible for Cold Weather Payments.<br />
The large energy companies also<br />
offer a Warm Home Discount.<br />
Check with your energy company to<br />
see if you qualify as you may get a<br />
£140 rebate.<br />
GENERAL MAINTENANCE<br />
Make sure you do some general<br />
maintenance on your property, or<br />
get someone in to help. So if the<br />
gutter looks leaky, it’s probably<br />
a good idea to get it repaired or<br />
replaced before it gets any worse and<br />
you have water entering your home.<br />
So start on those niggly jobs now,<br />
to make sure you have a cosy<br />
Christmas.<br />
Matt Turner RIBA<br />
Squid Architects