Winter Weather Advice: Keeping warm in winter

Keeping your home warm in winter

Maintaining a warm home is crucial, and if you're curious about the ideal temperature. The government suggests keeping it between 18-21°C during winter. However, this may differ depending on factors such as age, medical conditions, and the type of room in the house.

Increasing the temperature can mean your boiler has to work harder and for longer which can result in higher heating bills. The good news is that there are a number of ways to help you manage your home’s heating during the winter, by both retaining heat, and minimising excess energy use.

Small home changes

There are various quick and cost effective changes you can make to keep your home warmer in the colder months.

These changes include:

Close doors

Leaving your doors open in your home allows warm air to escape and be replaced by cooler air from outside, which will decrease the overall temperature of the room. Closing doors after using them is a simple and effective way of keeping a room at a consistently warm temperature due to the closed room trapping and circulating the warm air.

In addition to closing doors, putting draft excluders at the base of the closed door will trap the air effectively as the warm air won’t be able to escape through the base of the door and cold air won’t be able to enter.

Add curtains

Another effective way to retain heat in your home is by drawing your curtains and keeping blinds closed as soon as it starts to get dark. This provides an extra barrier of insulation, decreasing the chances of heat being lost through draughts around the windows and doors.

If your curtains are quite thin or your home isn’t well insulated, upgrading to thicker curtains with thermal properties is a good option to help retain as much heat in as possible. Thicker curtains are also good for hanging over doors that lead to unheated rooms, like garages or basements, for extra insulation.

Add soft furnishings

We all like our homes to feel comfortable and relaxing, especially in the winter. Adding some soft furnishings can help make a difference, not only to give it a cosy feel but make rooms warmer. If you have laminate, wood, or tiled flooring, which is known for being cold, adding rugs or carpets can instantly help make the room feel warmer.

Rugs and carpets made from natural materials such as wool or cotton are best for reducing heat loss through the floor, as they have superior air-trapping properties compared with synthetic fibres. Rugs with a high pile or thick backing will also provide better insulation. Although this can be a little expensive, you may be able to pick one up second hand for cheaper via charity shops or online.

Utilise sunlight

Opening blinds and curtains on windows during sunny days will allow natural sunlight to warm windows, which will naturally increase the temperature of rooms.

Big home changes

On the other hand, there are bigger home improvements you can make that are little bit more expensive, but your home will reap the benefits in the long run. These changes include:

Radiator reflector panels

Radiator reflective panels are thin sheets of aluminium foil that are placed onto the wall bracket behind the radiator. These work by preventing heat emitted from the radiator from being lost as the foil reflects the heat back into the room, making it feel warmer for longer, maximising every degree of heat produced by your boiler.

Available in most hardware shops, this is an inexpensive way of saving lost energy and you can easily install the sheets yourself. Since they are placed behind the radiator, they are also discreet so don’t affect the aesthetics of your home.

Insulation and draft proofing

Draughts are one of the main reasons why we feel cold at home in winter, even when the temperature inside is warm. Blocking draughts at the source can help reduce the amount of cold air flowing into the room, keeping it warmer for longer.

You can often feel a draught around windows and doors. These can be managed by using draught excluders or weatherstripping tape. Weatherstripping tape is great for sealing gaps around doors and windows where heat is lost. There is a variety of weatherstripping tape available, each made with different fabrics depending on the affected area. Make sure to research what type of tape would be best suited for your home.

You can also eliminate draughts by adding extra layers of insulation to areas in the home where heat tends to escape, mainly through lofts and walls. For further information on home insulation and how it can improve the warmth of your home, read our guide.

Upgrade your windows/doors

Poorly insulated windows can significantly impact the overall warmth of your home. By upgrading your windows to double or triple glazing, you’re adding an extra layer of insulation, which helps improve the energy efficiency of your home and lower energy bills.

Double glazed windows consist of two panes of glass with a small space in between, known as an air gap. The air gap contains a type of gas (usually argon) that acts as an insulator and prevents heat from being transferred back outside, preventing heat loss. Similarly, triple glazing is made from three panes of glass with two air gaps, meaning it acts as an even better insulators compared to double glazing. However, triple glazing is considerably more expensive than double glazing.

Boiler efficiency

For most people, their central heating system is the primary heat source for their home, so ensuring your gas boiler works correctly is vital before the winter weather sets in. To make sure you’re getting the most out of your boiler, there are a few things you can do to help optimise your boilers efficiency so you can feel warm throughout winter.

Bleed your radiator

Bleeding your radiators is an important part of annual heating system maintenance. This process releases the air trapped in the heating system, allowing warm water to circulate through the entire radiator and emit more heat.

You will be able to tell if your radiators need bleeding if they are cooler at the top than at the bottom. Doing this will help improve the performance of your central heating system, making your home feel much warmer during winter. If you’re unsure about bleeding your radiators or you’re still having problems with your central heating system, contact your local Glow-worm installer, who will come and take a look for you.

Service your boiler

Having your boiler serviced annually by a qualified heating engineer is essential for maintaining a properly functioning central heating system. The engineer will check, clean, and replace parts as necessary to keep your boiler in optimal working condition.

If your Glow-worm boiler is still under guarantee, having an annual boiler service will help to keep the guarantee valid after the first year. You book a boiler service using myGLOW-WORM Web or by contacting your local installer.

Control the temperature

Controlling the temperature of your home is a simple and effective way of getting the most out of your energy usage with minimal waste. Glow-worm offers a range of thermostats and smart heating controls, so you can discover the best settings tailored to your living environment, maximising efficiency.

Choosing the right heating control

At Glow-worm, we offer smart, programmable, and mechanical thermostats, all of which are compatible with our range of boilers.

Smart thermostats work by controlling your heating and hot water needs via the MiGo Link app on your smart phone when paired with the MiGo Link internet gateway. The app allows you to easily set your desired temperature, even when you're not at home, so your house is always set to your desired temperature.

Similarly, programmable thermostats like the Climapro2 RF from Glow-worm work by setting your specific heating and hot water requirements for each part of every day. With clear and straightforward settings menus, all you need to do is program your heating to come on according to your lifestyle, making it a super easy control to use. By having these functions, means your heating only switches on at certain times of day in line with your schedule and to minimise your energy consumption.

Mechanical thermostats, on the other hand, are more traditional, using an analogue dial to turn the temperature up or down to meet your requirements.

Read our ‘What is a thermostat and how does one work’ guide to find out more about the range of thermostats and the benefits each type brings to improving your home.

Upgrade to smart controls

Smart heating systems have grown in popularity due to their convenience and their reputation for being more energy efficient. If you’re looking to have more control over your heating, upgrading your traditional thermostat to a smart control is a good option. Smart controls, like the MiSet, MiGo Select and the Climastat Select offer weather compensation functionality so they can monitor the weather conditions outside to help get the ideal indoor temperature for your home.

If you’re thinking of upgrading your thermostat to help you stay warmer during winter and wish to discuss your options, speak to your local Glow-worm installer.

Stay warm this winter with a Glow-worm boiler

As experts in domestic central heating systems, Glow-worm have been keeping homes warm since 1934.

Our range of energy efficient combi, system and regular boilers is a great option for those looking to upgrade their current boiler for a modern and reliable boiler.