When dark nights draw in and there's a chill in the air, it's easy to think that hibernation is the only answer. Follow our top tips to beat the winter blues and find out how to keep your home healthy when the temperature starts to drop.
Keep your home happy
There are a number of things you can do to make sure your home stays happy over the winter.
- Clear out leaves and other debris from your gutters.
- Insulate your pipes and water tanks to avoid bursts and leaks.
- Get your boiler serviced to avoid a winter breakdown.
- Sweep your chimney to remove soot and grime from its walls.
- Prepare yourself for winter power cuts with a power-cut kit.
Take a look at more tips for preparing your home for winter.
Stay warm indoors
Staying warm indoors isn't just about cranking up your heating. The tips below will help to keep you toasty without running up huge electricity bills.
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Close doors
Keep doors closed. Staying in one room as much as possible will help to conserve heat and minimise chilly draughts.
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Stop draughts
Save money and stay warm by stopping draughts in their tracks with curtains and draught excluders. Take a look at our advice on how to save energy this winter for more information.
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Turn down the heat
Turn down radiators in rooms which are only used occasionally.
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Help heat to circulate
Move furniture (including radiator covers) away from your radiators and heaters to allow heat to circulate.
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Bubble wrap windows
Odd as it may sound, sticking bubble wrap on your windows is a cheap and effective way of insulating them.
Just spray some water on the glass and then apply the smooth side of the bubble wrap. When winter is over, the bubble wrap will simply peel off and won't leave any mildew!
Protect your garden
There's no reason that winter should wreak havoc on your garden. Find out how to keep your plants and flowers healthy this winter.
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Plants
Move any fragile plants into a greenhouse or indoors, especially if snow is forecast.
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Bulbs
Plant out early spring bulbs, such as snowdrops and crocuses. They're important for honey bees when they take their first flight out of the hive after winter.
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Ponds
If you have a fishpond, pop a tennis ball into the water. That way if it freezes over you can remove the ball to allow oxygen in.
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Pets
Move any outdoor pets inside, where they can enjoy warmth and shelter.
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Bird food
Give birds a much needed meal when the weather turns. Fat balls or even cooked rice make excellent winter food.
Getting out and about
Make sure you plan any essential journeys well in advance, to ensure that you don't get caught out by adverse travelling conditions.
Make sure you have a safe winter journey by:
- Keeping up to date with weather and traffic reports, in case you need to delay your trip.
- Checking for any cancellations to trains, planes and coaches.
- If you're driving, carry a winter car emergency kit.
For more winter travel information, take a look at our article about travelling safely in winter.
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