Save Energy this Winter with these DIY Tips

With winter well and truly around the corner, and the festive period approaching, it’s a good idea to focus on some DIY jobs you can do around your home to save money on your energy bills. Whether you stash this extra cash away, or use it to splash out on more gifts for your family and friends – you’ll be glad that it’s in your pocket and not the energy companies!

Halt a leaky loft

Storing away your life in your loft is pretty common practice for most of us. It’s a great place to get rid of all the clutter, especially at times like Christmas when you may be hosting guests and wanting your home to look its best. However, one thing most of us don’t do regularly is check for any air leaks whilst we’re in there. Look around at the insulation in your loft to see if any patches are darker than the rest – if there are it may be time to think about replacing your insulation in that area. Firstly look at the wood underneath and inspect for any cracks. These can easily be filled with wood filler to stop heat from escaping out of the house. Follow this up with new insulation around the wood to help lock the heat into your home and potentially lower your energy bills.  As the image below shows, poor insulation in the home can cost you those vital pennies on your bills.

If you’re lucky enough to have a loft conversion in your home, unfortunately it won’t be as easy as that to check. You may need to get a professional in to have a look and to retrofit insulation in the space.

Seal draughts around doors and windows

In the day to day running of a household it’s so easy to not fully take in your surroundings. An example is cracks may have started to appear around doors and window frames, causing draughts to enter the room or home. Although these are not normally anything to worry about, it can add to rising heating bills. For your windows you can use draught-proofing strips for ease. These can also be applied around door frames, or alternatively you can use a wood sealer. Just make sure you apply it as deep to the crack as possible. Whilst you’re sprucing up your woodwork why not give it a new lease of life with a coat of Littlefair’s Wood Dye?

Do you have any tips of your own? Please share them via our comments section below!