Heating Up Your Home

One of the abiding winter memories most people have is of an open fire roaring during the cold, dark and dreary nights. Growing up it was always a source of heat and excitement which got most of us through our day at school or work depending on your age.

Recently, with fluctuating fuel prices, the cost of making sure your home stays warm during the winter has become greater meaning for some those great big open fires are becoming a distant memory. But we at Chill love a nice open fire and a warm house so that's why our home insurance experts have got together and come up with some ideas on how you can cut down on energy costs but still have a warm house.

We already published a blog looking at some simple tips on how to make your house more energy efficient but this got us thinking, what are some other ways that will help you save on home heating costs in the long term.

Wrap Up Warm

Just like your parents told you to wrap up warm during the winter, it’s important to make sure that your house is also well wrapped up and insulated. Did you know that you can cut down heat loss in your home by as much as 20% during the winter by fitting draught excluders around your windows and doors?

Another benefit of proper home insulation is that once your house is warmed up it will maintain this temperature for as long as you want thus using less energy. Passive solar heating via southern facing glazing area can reduce heating bills by anywhere from 5% to 25%.

Location, Location, Location

If you have decided to take the plunge to build, or renovate, your new home there are a number of design tips that can be taken into consideration to help cut down on large energy bills. We know from our sponsorship of the weather on TV3 as well as the Christmas and mid week movies on RTÉ that Irish people love their TV. So choosing to locate your sitting room in the southern aspect of your home means you can avail of natural light all year round.

Radiator Balance

If you use radiators in your home to heat the house or dry your clothes during the winter make sure they are being used as efficiently as possible. Take into consideration the location of them and how they are used making sure that they are not blocked with unnecessary clothing or drawers.

Government Schemes

Revamping your heating system, either on a small or large scale, can be costly in the short term but will prove to be worthwhile in the long term. Some of the tips we have mentioned in this blog and previous blogs on making your home energy efficient not only reduce your future energy costs but they also reduce your homes carbon footprint.

In Ireland, at present, there is a House Energy Saving (HES) scheme run by the Sustainable Energy Association Ireland (SEAI) that seeks to help people make their homes more energy efficient. The national scheme is open to all home owners whose homes were built before 2006. The scheme is aimed at reducing energy use, costs and greenhouse gas emissions. For more information on the scheme why not visit www.seai.ie.

Keeping your home warm and cosy can give you a great piece of mind during the winter months. Making your home as energy efficient as possible doesn't just have the benefit of keeping you warm it also saves you money in the long term.

At Chill we believe that offering you great benefits and helping you save money on your home insurance is just as beneficial as making your home energy efficient.

Getting the best home insurance cover needn't be as difficult as setting the heating timer. Why not call us on 01 4003400 to speak to one our dedicated home insurance team or visit us on www.chill.ie to learn how we can help you save money this winter.