Stop Your House Leaking Energy With Plastic And Socks!
Some simple tricks can stop your heating bill spiralling out of control and wasting all that energy!
Remember visiting you grandparents house and there were a few things that you didn’t have at home that you thought were funny. Well some of them were totally eco friendly and we never took them on board.
Nans had these funny things as there wasn’t such a thing as central heating, so all of these were used simply to keep warm and stop cold draughts blowing aroundthe house.
Now of course, they can save energy, money and the environment too - so maybe I can take you on a walk around my nans house and see what you can do today.
Plastic Sheets: 18% of heat is lost through your windows.
In the colder rooms that weren’t used so often had tight plastic sheets taped over them on the inside. Double glazing was unheard of so putting in your own secondary ‘glazing’ was the way to go.
If you didn’t want to open the windows through the winter, then why not seal them up for the colder months. These days of course you can buy actual double glazing, retro-fit secondary glazing - or even buy an eco friendly equivalent of the old plastic sheeting called Eco Glaze which is acrylic sheets that are attached to your window with magnetic strips so you can put them on or take them off when you want!
Maybe even consider triple glazing in bad areas or just the leakiest window!
Giant Velvet Curtain: 15% of heat is lost through doors.
My nan had the most amazing thick red curtain on the back of the front door. It was on a great big rail and it was more than twice as wide as the door and at least a foot too long - great for hiding behind!
By making sure that there was more than enough curtain to block any breezes made it all the more worth having. I mean if you are fitting a curtain in the first place, it’s a bit pointless if it is too short or too thin. Spend the extra pennies and get it right first time.
Maybe consider fitting a simple porch to buffer the outside and inside spaces.
Long Tube Of Socks:
Along the bottom of the lounge door when we were all sitting inside was a handmade tube of old socks and rags. I suppose it could be made into a comedy sausage dog if you sewed ears on!
It was the perfect way to stop draughts coming under the door when you were heating just the one room. Just like today - when you have the log burner on the go in the one room, keep all the heat in there too. Modern equivalents can be plates you screw on to the bottom of you door with a furry edge - but I quite like the idea of making my own sausage dog!
Over-Patterned Rugs: 8% of heat is lost through floors.
Now, you don’t have to go an buy a bright swirly rug or a heavily-pattered dark red rug to stop cold air coming through your floorboards!
These days you can fill the gaps on old floorboards with man-made natural fillers, buy nice plain rugs in all sizes, or fit carpets with thick underlay to make sure that your home stays warm!
Maybe consider fitting underfloor heating if you are having other work done in your home. This is a much more efficient way to heat your home than traditional central heating and means you can put your furniture where you want it rather than having to fit it around huge radiators……..
So, go round to your great aunts house or your friends nans and check out their energy and money saving tips!
