Toasty tips for reducing your heating bill

 With the wet autumn leaves making footpaths slippery and the residential streets of Bayside afire with orange and brown - the cooler weather is most certainly upon us. For many, this also means a hike in household heating bills. Whether your property uses gas or electricity to bring warmth to those crisp mid-year evenings, C&G have dug up some of the best tips and tricks to keep warm, without breaking the budget.

Make a difference with DIY

According to Popular Mechanics online, the average Victorian home has a number of cumulative cracks, which, if put together, form the equivalent of a 1m x 1.5m window. Imagine leaving that open all the time! If you own the property you live in, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of these cheap and easy ways to seal up your home:

Fill gaps and cracks using weather stripping around doors and windows. Many properties already have this but when it gets old, it cracks – and it’s cheap to replace.

Buy some gap-filler, like expanding foam or acrylic latex caulk.  Use it to fill cracks in the wall, insulate electrical boxes in your outside walls (insulation is often haphazardly stuffed into them, making them a likely source of drafts) and any pipes, areas with loose electrical cables or gas lines.

Check the threshold on your door – if there’s a large crack of light under it, then chilly air will most likely be getting in. Some thresholds have screws that let you adjust the height and reduce the gap. Check if yours is adjustable – if not, invest in a door snake at the very least.

If you have a chimney and it’s not in use, get a chimney balloon to block it up. Air can still escape when the flue is closed!

Upgrade your curtains

If you live Bayside, chances are you’ve got big windows to let in beautiful bay views, or for welcoming an ocean breeze in the warmer months. Still, Melbourne is Melbourne, and you’ll want to be equipped for all seasons! Invest in some heavy, lined curtains that extend below the window frame. You should also remember that hot air rises – so make sure there’s no gap at the top where it hangs either. You should leave these curtains open during the day, especially for windows on the south side of your property. Direct sunlight will warm the house, and it’s free.

Use common sense

Have you closed the door on all rooms that aren’t in use? Keep the doors to your living space closed and if your heating system allows it, turn heating off in rooms you’re not using. Make sure you’re warmly dressed as well – if you’ve got teenage boys walking around in footy shorts saying they’re cold, tell them to put a sweater on! And every family member should also have good old pair of Explorer Socks.

Importantly, don’t make any changes to your home if you are leasing prior to contacting your Chisholm & Gamon property manager for permission first. And should anything involve gas or electricity, don’t touch and engage the services of a professional.