With the cost-of-living crisis people are less likely than ever to have spare money for unexpected costs such as house repairs. Matthew Jenkins, resident heating expert at MyJobQuote has shared his expertise on how to protect the most vulnerable areas of your home ahead of rain, snow, and storm season.
Matthew's tricks include one using a hairdryer, which he says can save you £625 a year. He also has one using a hot water bottle that could save you £75 and another using foam tape that could cut your bills by another £75.
1. Use a hairdryer to clean dust and dirt from your radiator to reduce your energy bill by up to £625 a year
Horizontal radiators often have convector fins inside of them, if these become dusty less heat will be transferred between them, this could lead to increased inefficiency and blockages.
According to research by Enertek International, a dirty heating system could increase your energy bills by up to 25%. The average household in Great Britain will pay on average £2,500 a year for their energy bill from 1st October 2022, MyJobQuote has revealed that having a dirty heating system could therefore add up to £625 onto the average annual energy bill. However, this quick two-step hairdryer hack could help to prevent this from happening to you.
Step one: Turn off your radiators and lay a towel beneath them to collect any dirt and dust.
Step two: Put your hairdryer on the highest setting and point the nozzle in the space between the back of your radiator and the wall. This will blow any dust and dirt onto the towel you placed beneath the radiator and prevent dust and dirt from building up in the convector fins.
2. Clean the gutters yourself in three simple steps and save £200
For gutters to work correctly during winter they need to be clear, otherwise, the outside drainage system won’t work, and rainwater can overflow and run down the walls of your house.
You should always clean your gutters after autumn as leaves are a huge culprit for causing blockages in gutters. The average cost to get your gutters cleaned by a professional is £200.
Step one: Cleaning gutters is a two-person job and must only be done yourself if you have a sturdy ladder and have someone there to help you.
Step two: Take a bucket and a small plastic scoop and work your way around the guttering scooping out as much of the debris as possible.
Step three: Wash out the gutters with a hose and if you spot any tough grime that won’t budge with the hose, use a hand scrubbing brush to get rid of them.
3. Lag pipes before temperatures get too cold and save £200
Frozen pipes can cause huge problems including stopping your heating from working however they can also burst which can cause leaks and flooding. In this case, you would need to call out an emergency plumber which can cost an average of £200.
Inside your home you should lag the pipes in the airing cupboard, pipes running from the boiler, central heating pipes, and hot water pipes.
MyJobQuote has provided a step-by-step guide on how to lag your pipes without needing professional help.
Step one: Measure how much pipe you need to cover before buying foam pipe insulation which can be found in DIY shops.
Step two: Cut the foam pipe insulation to the length you require and split it open lengthways on one side, this should be pre-cut when you buy the insulation.
Step three: Place the foam pipe insulation around the pipe using the pre-cut split, if you come to a corner simply use two separate pieces of insulation and tape them together to secure them.
4. Boiler stopped working in sub-zero temperatures? Thaw out the condensate pipe with a hot water bottle and save £75
If temperatures fall below zero, the condensate pipe is at risk of freezing which will stop your boiler from working. If you think this may have happened to your boiler, try out this hack first which could save you £75 before calling in the professionals.
Step one: Locate the condensate pipe, this is usually the pipe that runs from your boiler to the sink however if you can’t find it in this spot you should check to see if it runs along the outside wall.
Step two: Find the blockage in the pipe, this is where the condensate has collected and frozen.
Step three: Take a hot water bottle and wrap it around the blockage area of the pipe to melt it and restore your boiler to working order.
5. Draught-proof doors with foam tape and save up to £70
If you can already feel a draught from your door now is the time to act. If this is left any later, it will increase your energy bills as it will require more heat to warm your house up if a draught is letting cool air in.
A professional may charge up to £70 to fix the draught however the experts at MyJobQuote have revealed how you could fix this problem yourself with foam tape.
Step one: Use a tape measure on the area of your door which is allowing the cold air to flow freely into your home and cut the tape to this size.
Step two: Simply stick the foam tape over the draught to prevent the cold air from entering your home.
