The UK big freeze continues. After last week’s very low temperatures, there’s been a bit of respite, with the mercury hitting sweltering highs of 2 Celsius. Well, sweltering in comparison to last week’s minus 15 anyway.
Coping with the cold weather isn’t easy for anyone – getting to work, getting back from work, even going to the supermarket had become a challenge in the snow, especially when the snow froze all over the pavements causing real slip hazards.
Energy wise, even if you’re judicious with the central heating controls, this weather means that the heating is pretty much on all evening. If it’s a case of saving a bit of money on the bill versus sitting there shivering, I think we all know what the choice is.
But there are still ways to make sure that, even in the big freeze, we’re being energy efficient. The heating needs to be on, but it doesn’t need to be turned right up. Wearing layers of clothing means that the radiators won’t have to be all that hot – just hot enough to warm the room to an acceptable level. Then there are things you can also do, like not heating rooms that don’t need it.
I doubt that the gas bill will be as low as it was for the summer months – it never is – but by means of draft exclusion, warm clothing, and keeping an eye on which rooms need heated and which don’t, I hope to make sure that the gas bill isn’t too big when it drops on the mat sometime in February.
Given that electricity companies provide info on the amount of electricity used, it might be an idea to hold on to your bills or put the info on a spreadsheet so you can compare use year on year, and see where your highest energy use months are. Although if this year is anything to go by so far, it’s unlikely to compare to a winter where the temperatures remain mild. In which case, all the more reason to keep the draughts out and the warmth in.
