With Britons likely to be busy saving for Christmas, they may wish to make sure that they add to their finances by taking action to lower their
gas and electricity bills.
And according to one online resource, there are a number of jobs that homeowners should look to carry out during the autumn in order to ensure their properties are as winter-proof as possible.
Anna Powell, in an article for Lovemoney, states that without taking these steps, the extreme winter weather conditions may leave Britons facing costly repair bills, along with high gas and electricity bills.
Getting home winter-ready"Now more than ever, it's important to prepare your house for the winter. Think of our house-warming list here as the opposite of a spring clean: it's a late-autumn check for small things that could become big problems," Ms Powell explains.
The first job on the pre-winter check list is getting a
gas boiler serviced, which could lower the risk of the appliance breaking down during the winter and leaving families to endure a cold Christmas.
As well as identifying any potential problems, an engineer from Gas Safe
TM Register will be able to offer tips on how to make central heating more efficient, which could see households lowering their gas and electricity bills, Ms Powell states.
Britons should also ensure they know what to do should the water in their pipes freeze causing the pipes to burst, she claims, such as finding out where the stopcock is located and how to turn it off.
Should pipes burst, the stopcock should be switched off, toilets should be flushed and all of the taps can be turned on to drain the water tank swiftly.
Get insulating
Insulation is also an important job to carry out ahead of the winter, not only as it can help people achieve lower gas and electricity bills, but also as it can prevent any cold draughts from leaking in.
The Guardian notes that one third of all heat is lost through the walls of detached houses, while solid wall insulation can save people £400 a year on their home energy bills, while also reduce carbon emissions by 21 tonnes.
And the newspaper states that roof insulation could knock a further £150 a year off gas and electricity bills.
By taking these simple steps, Britons may find that they successfully lower their heating bills, leaving them with money to spare for their loved ones' Christmas gifts.
