Is your home winter-ready?
We might have enjoyed unseasonably warm weather recently, but with colder temperatures guaranteed in the coming months, it makes sense to start preparing your property for winter.
The autumn months are the perfect time to carry out a few basic household maintenance checks, so that you’ll have peace of mind your home is protected against any winter weather shocks. You should also scrutinise your home insurance small print, so that you know exactly what your policy does – and doesn’t – cover.
Here’s our rundown of some of the things you can do to make sure your home is winter-ready.
1) Check your boiler
If your boiler hasn’t been serviced for a while, make sure you book it in for one before it gets colder so that you know there won’t be any issues when the heating goes on.
Mark McShane from Boiler Cover UK said: “Boilers, much like cars, need regular maintenance to run efficiently. When a boiler sits dormant for months, minor issues can go unnoticed and turn into major problems. Imagine trying to start a car after it’s been sitting unused for half a year – it’s likely to struggle, and the boiler is no different.
“Minor faults, such as a tiny leak or a small blockage, can escalate into significant problems if left unattended. What could have been a quick and inexpensive fix in the summer may turn into an emergency call-out and hefty repair bill in the winter. Winter repairs often come with a premium price tag due to the high demand for heating engineers.”
2) Bleed your radiators
Freeing air that has become trapped in your radiators means that they will heat up more effectively when you need to put the heating on.
A spokesman for energy and insulation experts National Insulation Solutions said: “Radiator bleeding keys, priced as low as 99p from online stores or hardware shops, can help make homes warmer and save on central heating costs by reducing trapped air, built up over summer months. It is estimated up to 20% of your energy bill can be saved by having a properly efficient radiators - which at this winter's cap is nearly £350.
“Bleeding your radiator is a simple task that takes as little as five minutes per radiator, and only needs to be tackled every six months.”
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3) Insulate exposed pipes
If you’ve got any exposed pipes in colder areas use lagging or insulation to prevent them from freezing and potentially bursting causing a leak. A spokesman for insurer NFU Mutual said: “You should also ensure hot water circulates through the pipes and air in your home – especially to lesser-used areas – during the coldest weather.”
4) Draught-proof your home
The last thing you want is for the heat to escape when it’s freezing outside, so look at ways you can draught proof your property before it gets cold.
Tom Church, the co-founder of the money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk said: “One quick and effective DIY method is keeping your curtains and blinds closed when it's darker and colder to reduce loss of heat through the windows. This may seem like common sense, but many people don’t do this, resulting in massive overspending on heating.
“Another method is making or buying draught excluders for the bottom of your doors. For inside doors, it's best to use a fabric one. For outside windows, draught-proofing strips are the best solution. Special draught-proofing strips can be purchased, but even using tape can be quite effective.”
5) Check your gutters and roof
Make sure any gutters are free from leaves and that your roof is in a good state of repair. If your house is damaged due to a missing tile or because your gutters are blocked, this is considered general wear and tear by insurers, so therefore won’t generally be covered by your home insurance.