Ten tips for cutting holiday home energy costs this winter, including boiler, draindown, and heat tracing advice. As temperatures drop, it’s important to make sure your holiday home is properly prepared for the colder months.
Taking a few simple steps now can help reduce energy usage, prevent costly damage from frozen pipes, and ensure your property is ready to enjoy whenever you return. In this guide, we share some practical tips to help protect your holiday home and keep running costs under control throughout the winter season.
1. Programme Your Heating
Use your timer on your boiler to programme when your heating goes on and off, and take the time to check the temperature that your boiler is set at and perhaps turn it down a notch. This is especially important if you leave your heating on over the winter months. It is also a good idea to arrange for a draindown, install a Floe system and invest in a heat trace system to prevent your external pipes from freezing.
2. Get Your Boiler Serviced
Getting your boiler serviced annually. This will ensure that it is running efficiently. This is a good time to bleed any radiators and to get your caravan antifreeze topped up too.
3. Winterise Your Holiday Home
If you are not using your holiday home for a prolonged period over the winter months, remember to empty and switch off your freezer. This also has the added benefit of reducing worry if we experience any power cuts too.
4. Use Your Heating Efficiently
It goes without saying that turning the room thermostat down even by a degree will save you money.
5. Unplug Devices Not In Use
Unplug devices when not using them – don’t leave them on standby and always make sure everything is switched off when you return home. For those awkward to reach plugs, why not invest in a standby saver plug that works with a remote control?
6. Use LED or Low Energy Bulbs
This one is a given but turning off the lights when you’re not in a room can save you a pretty penny. Replacing the lights in your holiday home with LED bulbs or low-energy bulbs could help save even more.
7. Get a Slow Cooker
Invest in a slow cooker for your holiday home. They are energy efficient and ideal for making soups and casseroles, which can be cooking away all day, ready for you to enjoy after spending a day out and about enjoying the autumn countryside. Perfect food for this time of year, only one pot to wash!
8. Wrap Up!
Invest in some cosy blankets, throws and woolly jumpers that you can just keep at your holiday home over the autumn and winter months. You don’t want to be turning up the heating when it turns cold, and you haven’t brought any warm clothes with you.
9. Let The Sun In
If you are lucky enough to have a south-facing view, make sure you open your curtains early and let the sun warm up your lounge. Equally, make sure you pull the curtains when it gets dark, and the temperature drops to keep the heat in.
10. Turn Unused Radiators Off
Over winter when the guest bedroom doesn’t get used quite as much by visiting friends and family, make sure you switch off the radiator. Heating that extra bedroom will soon add to your costs.
