Heating the home during autumn usually means increasing your monthly budget to cope with rising energy costs. As a low income family and one that relies heavily on student finance to get us through each semester whilst Adam is studying, we really need to do everything we can to stick to our budget. I am already feeling the cold in the mornings when I wake up and now we’ve brought home a newborn baby so maintaining a warm temperature through autumn and into the winter months is high on our list of priorities. Finding the most cost-effective way to do so though, is a challenge.
Some families choose to do this by installing central heating pumps, which is an effective and efficient way of heating the home. A pump helps circulate hot water around the home rapidly, from the boiler to the radiators. This helps keep the home warm without breaking the bank.
Heating The Home Effectively
Using a central heating pump is an effective method of heating the home but it isn’t always an option for all households. We have night storage heaters and we only have one energy bill to worry about however we do notice a significant weekly increase when it gets colder. As we use electric when it comes to heating our home, like other families do, there is an option to get a smart meter installed, which helps record the exact amount of energy we use. There are also plenty of apps available that help you keep track of how much you’re spending and even how to cut down on this amount.
When it comes to heating the home we try to limit which heaters we turn on. I usually start with turning on the one in the hallway as that is the one that makes the biggest difference in the morning. It’s much nicer walking out of the bedroom into an already warm hallway. Often, the heat has had time to warm the other rooms too. Luckily, living in a flat, it doesn’t take long to warm up and this helps us keep the costs down. We also make use of a halogen heater for the living room. Keeping the living room door closed, and turning this on for just a small amount of time, heats up our living room very quickly. Ideally, I try to find ways of heating the home that are also energy-efficient.
I find using a slow cooker rather than our oven a great way to save a money and energy whilst heating our home. Plus, there is nothing better than smelling a delicious stew or soup cooking throughout the day, especially if I can dip into it a few times during the day! Hot food really makes a difference in keeping me warm. I am also a fan of all things soft and fluffy so we have plenty of throws and blankets to use. I use these in the living room to cosy up on the sofa with the kids or to put a few extra layers on the bed at night. I am a big fan of layers of clothing too. Big, warm fluffy socks and a soft dressing gown after a hot bath can make a huge difference in keeping us all warm at the end of a cold day.
So there you have it, a few money-saving methods of heating the home that I like to use. How do heat your home while keeping costs down?
