How to stay warm in your home for less over Christmas

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but according to weather experts, we are in the midst of what could be the coldest winter in years.

Combining the festive Christmas period—which let’s face it, is an expensive time—with the cost-of-living crisis we’re facing, it’s important that you make sure you’re not stuck without heating during the winter chill.

People are being advised to keep homes heated to 18°C but that could mean even more pressure on the British public’s finances over the holiday period.

With cost saving tips more crucial than ever, the UK’s leading home heating and hot water provider, Martyn Bridges, director of technical services at Worcester Bosch, has a list of tips to maintain the heat in your home this festive period for less.

Making sure you keep the heat trapped inside of your home is an easy yet effective tip that you could put into place.

One super simple tip is to draught-proof your windows and doors. You would be surprised about how much heat escapes through those tiny gaps which are found around your window, in your keyhole, and in your letterbox.

Covering those tiny gaps could save you around £45.

To take this one step further, you could add an insulated jacket to an uninsulated hot water cylinder. Insulating your hot water cylinder will reduce the heat loss resulting in the water remaining hotter for longer.

Insulating your hot water cylinder properly could save you up to £145, which could make a huge difference this festive period.   

Martyn explains: “Trapping the heat in your home should be a priority. These small gaps needlessly bring the cold air in, reversing all the changes you have made to keep your home warm.

"From little tasks like closing those gaps to slightly bigger tasks such as getting an insulated jacket, you’re helping lower your energy bills.” 

Sometimes it is the smallest changes that have the biggest impact. Technology is a core part of our life, but remember to put your devices on standby when not using them.

Also make sure to turn off those magical Christmas lights when you’re going to bed. Net an extra £30 saving by being savvy with your device by shutting it down.  

Martyn explains: “Switching off appliances and Christmas lights once you use them is a small way to ensure that you reduce your energy usage. Although they may seem like unimportant changes, they could make huge changes to your home and your bills.” 

Nothing beats having a hot shower to ease the Christmas chill, but by following these simple tips, you can reduce your energy usage while still enjoying a relaxing early morning or late-night wash.  

The biggest change you can make is cutting your shower time down, ideally to around four minutes. A household could see up to £70 a year saved on their energy bill just from a speedy shower as well as significantly reducing the amount of water used.  

Martyn gives this guidance: “We all love having a hot shower to keep out the cold, but a significant amount of hot water is used, contributing to energy usage and your bills.

"Taking the steps to use showers instead of baths and using a timer to measure how long you are taking could be a simple step to lower your energy usage.”  

For more general energy saving tips to help lessen the financial load this Christmas period, you can visit Worchester Bosch's website.