byPAUL BUCHANAN

Winter is one of the most expensive times of the year whichever way you look at it. Not only is there the festive period and all of the associated costs, but in the chilly UK you’re looking at some pretty hefty heating and food bills too. However, winter doesn’t have to be such a drain on your finances that you have to spend the rest of the year recovering from it. Instead you can make some changes around the home that will help you stay on track and keep your bank balance in the black no matter how grey the winter skies are.

Keeping warm in winter is an upmost priority no matter what age you are, but it is of course particularly important if you have young or elderly people in the house. Unfortunately, you may have to use a lot of power to keep the house toasty when the snow and sleet is falling outside. But just because you have to use more energy than you do in the summer it doesn’t mean that you can’t find ways to make what you do use go further.

There are plenty of small things you can do to cut your heating bills during the winter months. These range from turning down the settings on your fridge and freezer (you’ll find it’s a lot easier for these machines to do their job when the temperature of the house is a little lower than normal anyway) to making sure that you always use the right amount of water when you boil the kettle. And if you ever boil a full kettle for one cup of tea, make the most of the extra water by storing it in a flask for later or putting it in a hot water bottle to keep you cosier.

You could also consider improving the insulation for your home as this keeps heat where you want it, inside. But if that choice is too expensive for you right now you could do a DIY job in the meantime. Simply make sure you have some draft excluders – rolled up towels will suffice – at the bases of all of your external doors, keep all your internal doors shut to pocket heat within each room and stick film or cardboard over window and you’ll find that you’re saving money and staying warm.

It’s also worth finding out if your energy supplier offers any electricity and gas discounts or you could switch suppliers if you don’t feel as though you’re getting the best deal. Stay warm in the winter being careful with you heating and you’ll save money.

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