As energy bills are on the rise for many homes in Britain this winter, finding ways to keep them as low as possible is now a top priority. Often, it’s thought this is always through costly methods, including buying more energy efficient appliances, upgrading your boiler or insulating your home.
However, we have a list of more affordable ways you can help to keep your energy costs down this winter, ones you may not have even considered!
In this blog we will look at the different interior trends you can apply to your home to keep your energy bills down this wintertime.
Choose your Colours Wisely
Most of us know that light colours reflect sunlight and darker colours ‘absorb’ it. It’s a simple trick but by painting the interior walls of your home in accordance with the natural sunlight.
For example, if you have a room that receives lots of natural light, it makes sense to paint this in a light colour to help the warmth reflect into the room. This counts for the ceilings too.
However, if you have a slightly cooler room, that doesn’t receive much daylight, try painting ceilings in a warmer colour. This works by helping to reduce your energy consumption to warm up or cool down the room.
Utilise Cosy Home Accessories
It makes sense that carpet is a much better insulator than wooden or tiled floors, however, paying to change your flooring is costly. A more affordable option is to introduce a rug, the larger the rug, the better.
There’s also the benefit of flexibility with a rug as it can be rolled up during the summer months and stored.
Another TOP TIP for keeping in the heat is utilising items like draught excluders to help keep in the heat.
Your floor matters
As we mentioned above, carpets are a fantastic choice for improving the overall insulation of your home.
That said, if you do have wooden flooring, particularly if it’s old, the best thing you can do to keep the energy bills down, is to look after them!
Filling gaps between floorboards is one of the top energy saving ideas for owners of older homes. In fact, gaps in your floorboards can be the equivalent of a small window being permanently left open.
Dress your Windows
Choosing the right window dressing is crucial to keeping down your energy bills. This is by reducing the amount of heat that can escape from your home.
We all know that double glazing is the key to the most energy efficient windows, as well as larger windows to let in more natural light. However, if you don’t already have these, it is a very big expense. That’s where other alternatives can help in the meantime.
By opting for dense window covers such as shutters are a great way to control the amount of light coming into the room. This means you are less dependent on artificial lighting and boosting your homes efficiency.
You can also introduce dense curtains to your windows to add another layer against the escape of heat. Curtains with a thermal or blackout lining can also significantly reduce the loss of heat
Get the most from natural light
Another thing to consider is how you light your home. You’d be surprised at the amount of your energy bill that is down to lighting. This is why exploiting natural light as much as possible will help keep your costs down.
Ceiling Fans: Not just for Summer
A common misconception is that ceiling fans are just for summertime, however, they are also effective during the winter. Newer models of ceiling fans have the ability to rotate in reverse, meaning they can direct warm air from the ceiling down into the living space.
Surprisingly, ceiling fans are also cheaper than you might think and relatively easy to install. By having one in your living room or bedroom you can reduce the amount you spend on your energy bills in the winter.
Want to Invest to Save Money in the Long Run?
If you are looking to make the change to carpets, or even upgrade your existing carpet, visit our showroom.
We also have various curtains and blinds available.