Cutting your winter heating bill

The threat of draughts will make your home feel cold if they’re not plugged this winter. Some simple home maintenance can improve the comfort of your home and reduce your heating bill, according to EECA Energywise.

Top ENERGYWISE tips Insulation

Well-installed insulation makes a big difference to your comfort in winter. If your insulation was installed some time ago, get it checked to make sure it’s still doing the job. If tradesmen have been in the roof space, they may have moved the insulation — gaps may halve the effectiveness of the insulation..

If you don’t have insulation, you may be able to add the cost of insulation to your rates from $9 a week— talk to your council. Low-income rental properties may also be eligible for a grant under the Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes programme.

Gaps under doors

Is the wind whistling through gaps under your doors? It’s a very easy DIY job to fit draught excluders, which you can buy from hardware stores.

Door snakes

Door snakes in front of internal doors help keep your rooms cozy.

You can buy these from hardware stores or easily make your own with some spare fabric and stuffing.

Hinges and catches

Check whether hinges and catches are loose and tighten them up with a screw driver.

Weather stripping, which you can buy cheaply from hardware stores, can be used to seal gaps around many doors or windows. It’s an easy job. If you get draughts from around door or window trims, seal behind them with clear or paintable sealant.

Unused fire places

This is a really easy fix. Block the chimney with a rubbish bag filled with shredded newspapers.

Make sure no one tries to light the fire after you block the chimney.

Downlights

Older style recessed downlights let large amounts of heat escape into your roof space. The only solution is to replace old style downlights with modern, sealed IC or IC-F rated LED downlights that can be insulated over.