Cost of Living: Best ways to prepare your home for the winter and save £630 on bills

With winter fast approaching and the cost-of-living crisis still rumbling on, it’s important you know how to prepare your home for the colder months ahead. Despite Ofgem lowering the energy cap once again, prices are still way above the levels they were prior to the current crisis.

UK boiler installer, BOXT, have identified the best ways to improve your property’s energy efficiency and save money this winter. To do this, it collated a range of guides from Which? and Energy.gov to find out which DIY methods will prepare your home the best

Whether you need to make smaller changes, such as installing insulation and energy-efficient lightbulbs or overhaul your current setup, here’s everything you need to know.

Best ways to prepare your home for energy bills this winter

• Ensure you have the best boiler for your home - There are many instances where your boiler may either be outdated and have a low-efficiency rating, especially for those that live in older properties. Investing in a new boiler can save you as much as £630 on your energy bills per year, so it’s a worthwhile investment in what would mean you reaping the rewards for many years to come.

• Check your radiators - It’s a simple task but one that can really benefit the warmth of your home as the cold snap approaches. The inactivity of having your heating on in the summer months gives opportunity for your radiators to build up trapped air. However, bleeding your radiators and feeling for cold spots will ensure that by the time those freezing temperatures hit, your heating will be working fine.

• Service your boiler - If replacing your boiler isn’t an option, then be sure to have your current one serviced at least once a year. Taking this up annually can mean a registered Gas Safe engineer can look out for any potential risks or hazards which will save you a lot more money now than further down the line if these go unchecked. 

• Reflect your radiators - This is a very handy and cost-effective hack to maximise the heat in your home. Cheap to purchase and easy to install, they can save you around £19 a year on your energy bills. By installing reflector panels behind your radiators, it will ensure that the warm air will be reflected back into the room rather than the heat bleeding into the walls.

• Check your boiler pressure - Always ensure your boiler pressure stands at the correct reading, as it gives you an idea of the state your heating is in. The ideal boiler pressure is said to be between 1 to 1.5 bars when your heating is switched off and can rise up to 2 bars when it’s on. Should the reading be outside of this range, it could be wise to repressurise your boiler or bleed your radiators.