Winter-proof your home now - and save yourself money later

Why fix what isn’t broken? Because when winter arrives, a small problem can quickly become an expensive emergency.

A few simple jobs now could help you avoid a freezing house, a burst pipe or a broken boiler when you least need it. And you don’t have to spend a fortune.

From bleeding your radiators to blocking draughts, here are some easy ways you can get your home ready for winter, and potentially cut your energy bills at the same time.

Get your boiler serviced

A boiler breakdown in the middle of winter is inconvenient, uncomfortable and potentially expensive.

Getting yours serviced before the heating goes on full blast gives you a chance to spot problems early and make sure it’s working efficiently.

A service typically costs around £100, but that can look like money well spent compared with an emergency repair.

If your boiler is more than 10 years old, check whether it’s becoming expensive to run or repair. Planning ahead gives you more options than waiting for it to fail.

Bleed your radiators

If your radiators are cold at the top but warm at the bottom, trapped air could be stopping them from working properly.

Bleeding them is quick and inexpensive, and it helps your heating system work more efficiently.

Check your radiators at the start of every heating season and after you’ve bled them, check your boiler pressure too.

Hunt down the draughts

Cold air coming in around doors, windows, floorboards and chimneys can make your heating work much harder.

Walk around your home and feel for draughts. Self-adhesive foam strips, draught excluders and keyhole covers are cheap fixes that can make a noticeable difference.

Don’t forget less obvious spots such as letterboxes, loft hatches and gaps around pipes.

Give your radiators room to breathe

That armchair may look great in front of your radiator, but it’s blocking the heat from circulating.

Move sofas and bulky furniture away from radiators, and consider swapping thin curtains for thicker ones.

Rugs can also help make bare floors feel warmer and reduce heat loss.

Don’t heat rooms you don’t use

You don’t need every room in your home to be toasty all day.

Focus your heating on the rooms you actually use, particularly if you have individual radiator controls.

But don’t let unused rooms become freezing. Keeping some background heat on can help reduce condensation and damp.

Turn down the thermostat

It’s tempting to crank up the thermostat when the temperature drops, but every extra degree costs you.

For many homes, 18°C to 21°C is a comfortable range. Turning your thermostat down by just 1°C can reduce heating costs, although the actual saving will vary depending on your home, heating system and usage.

Try lowering it gradually rather than making a big change. You may find you’re perfectly comfortable at a slightly lower temperature.

Time your heating

If you have a programmable thermostat or timer, use it.

Set your heating to come on shortly before you normally get up and switch off before you go to bed. You can also programme it around your working hours so you’re not heating an empty house.

Don’t leave the heating running simply because it feels colder outside. Heat your home when you actually need it.

Insulate your pipes

Frozen pipes can burst, causing serious damage to your home, and a potentially hefty repair bill.

Pipe insulation is cheap and easy to fit, particularly around pipes in colder areas such as garages, lofts and cupboards.

Check that your loft insulation is in good condition too. Heat escaping through the roof can make your heating bills climb.

Keep mould at bay

Winter can create the perfect conditions for mould.

You shut the windows, dry clothes indoors and produce moisture through cooking, showering and simply breathing. That moisture can settle on cold windows and walls.

Mould isn’t just unsightly. It can irritate your eyes, nose and throat and can make breathing problems worse.

But a few simple habits can help.

Let moisture out

Open windows for around 10 minutes a day, particularly after cooking or showering, to let humid air escape.

Use extractor fans where you have them, and keep the bathroom door closed while showering to stop moisture spreading around the house.

Keep furniture a few inches away from external walls so air can circulate.

Deal with condensation

If your windows are covered in condensation each morning, wipe them down rather than letting the moisture sit there.

A cheap microfibre cloth or squeegee will do the job.

Don’t ignore leaks

Fixing a dripping tap or small plumbing problem now could prevent much bigger damage later.

Be smart about drying clothes

Drying clothes indoors can release a surprising amount of moisture into your home.

Dry them outside whenever you can. If you have to dry them indoors, use a well-ventilated room and keep the door closed.

A dehumidifier can also help in particularly damp areas.

Avoid drying clothes directly on radiators where possible, you’ll also make your heating system work harder.

Keep the heat inside

Once you’ve heated your home, don’t let that warmth escape.

Seal gaps around doors and windows with inexpensive weatherstripping or caulk. A draught excluder at the bottom of a door can also make a surprisingly big difference.

Thicker curtains or thermal curtain liners can help keep warmth in, while rugs add an extra layer over cold, bare floors.

Close your curtains as soon as it gets dark and open them during the day to make the most of natural warmth and light.

Stop heat disappearing up the chimney

If you’ve got an unused fireplace, warm air is likely to be escaping straight up the chimney.

A chimney draught excluder can help reduce this heat loss and is relatively inexpensive.

If you use the fireplace, remove the draught excluder before lighting a fire. Never block a chimney while it is in use, as smoke and dangerous gases need to escape safely.

Clear your gutters

It’s a boring job, until a blocked gutter causes water to overflow into your roof, walls or foundations.

Clear leaves and debris before winter weather arrives and check that rainwater is flowing freely through the downpipes.

While you’re up there, look for loose or damaged sections that could become a bigger problem during heavy rain or strong winds.

Check your roof

A missing tile or small leak may not seem urgent in September. It could be a very different story after weeks of rain and frost.

Check your roof from the ground for obvious damage, and look in your loft for signs of damp, water stains or daylight where there shouldn’t be any.

Get problems fixed before winter turns a small repair into a major one.

Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Winter means more time with your heating, boiler and other appliances running.

Check your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries if necessary. If you don’t have a carbon monoxide alarm where you need one, consider getting one.

Test your alarms regularly and make sure everyone in your home knows what to do if one sounds.

Find your stopcock

Do you know where your main stopcock is?

If a pipe bursts, knowing how to shut off your water quickly could dramatically reduce the damage.

Find it now and make sure everyone else in your household knows where it is and how to turn it off.

A little work now can save a lot later

You don’t need to spend hundreds of pounds winter-proofing your home.

The best time to deal with a winter problem is before it becomes a winter emergency.