How to hold off from putting the heating on too early this autumn

When the temperature starts to drop it can be all too easy to turn the heating on to keep ourselves warm. However, with energy costs continuing to rise, are there more economical ways of staying warm so we can hold off switching the heating on in the early autumn?

Generally, September and the early part of October are not really that cold, but because we’re not used to the drop in temperature we start to think we need the heating on.

An increasing number of households are having problems paying their energy bills across England and around 11% are being pushed under the poverty line because of the cost of heating their homes, so maybe you should look at alternatives first.

If you’ve already done the obvious things of putting on socks, bringing out the winter duvet or grabbing a blanket and a hot water bottle, we’ve given you some ideas to keep cosy. This will also give you time to have your boiler serviced, such as through a company doing a boiler installation in Gloucester, like http://www.hprservicesltd.com/boiler-and-heating-installation-gloucester/, so it keeps working properly throughout the winter.

Keep some doors open to help warm air circulate

Keep some internal doors open

Generally, we’ve learnt to close doors to prevent draughts and stop warm air escaping, but sometimes the opposite is true. If you’ve been cooking or had a warm bath or shower, keeping the door ajar will allow warm air to circulate around the house.

Close the curtains as it gets dark

Close the curtains

Once it starts to get dark draw the curtains to keep the warmer air in. Thick, heavy fabrics are more effective at insulating the room to make sure it’s lovely and warm. Where you’ve got an external door leading straight into a room hanging a curtain across it can stop draughts.

Turn down your radiators and car heating

Lower your car temperature

If you get into your car and instantly turn the heating up, once you get home you’ll notice the sudden change in temperature and feel colder than you actually are. By keeping the car cooler there won’t be such a difference and you’ll be more acclimatised.

Turn down the radiators

If you do need to give in and have the heating on, lower the temperature of individual radiators if they are fitted with thermostatic valves and don’t put them on in rooms you don’t use.

Summary

This article suggests ways to delay switching on the heating in early autumn, such as wearing extra layers, using a hot water bottle, and getting a boiler serviced ahead of winter. It also covers keeping some internal doors open to let warm air circulate, closing curtains once it gets dark, cooling the car down gradually, and turning down radiator thermostats.

Questions this article raises

• How much can you realistically save by delaying the heating each year?
• Does keeping internal doors open really make a noticeable difference?
• What temperature should radiators be set to for the best balance of comfort and cost?