Your thermostat
Understanding how your boiler works and how to set it correctly could help you to reduce your heating bill. The thermostat should be set to the lowest comfortable temperature, typically between 18°C and 21°C. Turning up your room thermostat won’t make your home heat any faster. Room thermostats need a free flow of air to sense the temperature, so make sure they’re not blocked by curtains or furniture, and keep them away from heat sources.
Draught proof your home
There are four main areas to consider for draught proofing – keyholes, letterboxes and gaps around the edges and bottom of doors and windows. Use keyhole and letterbox covers and draught excluders to block out draughts.
Visit the Energy Saving Trust webpage for more tips.
Reducing condensation
Keeping condensation at bay can be difficult, especially during the winter months. Here are some small changes that can make a big difference to the levels of condensation in your home.
- Keep lids on pots when cooking, open a window and make sure your extractor fan is running.
- Ventilate tumble driers externally unless you have a self-condensing model.
- Keep bathroom doors closed during and after bathing and showering. Open the window and make sure your extractor fan is running.
- Do not dry clothes on radiators.
- Ventilate your home. The most effective way to ventilate is to open several windows to allow a through draft. Opening windows for five to ten minutes a couple of times a day will remove moist air. Open trickle vents on your windows if you have them.
- Keep furniture away from walls, leave a gap of a couple of inches to allow for air flow.
- Do not fill cupboards to bursting point – allow the air to flow.
- Ensure you clean down any areas affected by mould as soon as it appears. Use a mould and mildew cleaner or diluted white vinegar to treat the areas. This may need to be done on a regular basis during the colder months.
If the problem continues, please contact us and we will carry out an inspection of your home to see if there could be any other contributing factors. Please report any repair issues that could be causing damp in your home, such as leaking gutters, pipes or anything else that you feel may be a factor.