5 low-cost ways to heat your home for longer this autumn and winter

Only recently, it was announced that the UK energy price cap was dropping by £151 between October and January. Whilst this brought a lot of relief to many homeowners, it doesn't stop the possibility of unexpectedly racking up a high energy bill, especially now temperatures have dropped. 

With this in mind, we spoke with James Longley, Managing Director at Utility Bidder, who shared some insightful tips about heating our homes for longer without seeing their energy bills increase drastically. Some of the best thermostats out there are great at controlling how much energy you use, but there are still a few steps you can take to keep that overall bill down. 

If you haven't already, make sure you check out the 3 vampire devices are adding money to your energy bill - it may take you by surprise!

1. Utilise daylight

Despite it being cold, there are often spells of bright sun throughout the autumn and winter months, so it’s important to use this to your advantage. Make sure to open all curtains and blinds so that the sunlight can help to heat up different rooms within the house. You'll be surprised at how effective this is!

2. Strategically arrange your furniture

It’s unlikely you’ll be able to last all of the autumn and winter months without putting the heating on, so to use as little energy as possible, make sure there are no items of furniture such as a sofa in front of the radiator, as this will soak up the majority of the heat. Instead, leave the radiators exposed in order for it to heat the whole room.

3. Make the most of shower steam

When taking a hot shower, you’ll often find the bathroom becomes filled with steam which in turn produces heat. Before taking a shower, leave the bathroom door open so that some of the steam and heat warms the surrounding areas of the home, which will hopefully leave you feeling warmer for longer.

4. Place curtains behind the radiator 

When radiators within the home are turned on, it’s important to not allow the curtains to cover the radiator, as this will direct the heat towards the window. Instead, make sure the radiator is exposed by gently placing the curtains behind the radiator, which will help to heat the entire room.

5. Keep out any drafts 

It may sound simple but any areas exposed to drafts can bring in cold air and let warm air out. With this in mind, make sure all doors and a draft excluder at the bottom of them and don’t forget about pet flaps and letter boxes. If you can, fixing your letter box so that any drafts can’t enter the home will have a big impact.

Interested in more? Look at these 3 smart home devices you can use to save money on energy bills.