South African winters can get very cold and in some parts of the country it gets colder than most. When temperatures drop, keeping your home warm and cosy can take away the winter chill and lift your spirits. There are numerous heating options available to fight the winter chills. It’s not just about keeping your home warm this winter; it’s about understanding the various heating options that won’t break the bank.
A factor to consider when heating your home is insulation, so how insulated is your home? An insulated room requires 51% less energy than an uninsulated room. Insulating your home’s ceiling is the simplest and most effective way to prevent the warm air generated by the heaters, that rises to the ceiling, from escaping.

Note: When considering insulating your home, talk to a specialist vendor. It is critical to choose the correct combination of materials and techniques to suit the location, positioning and design of your home.

There are many different ways to reduce the draughts that enter your home. Below are a few ideas to consider when it comes to preparing your home for the winter chills:

Check window seals – Start with closing windows properly. Worn-out seals on aluminium frame windows and doors can easily cause a room to lose heat rapidly. Seals are easy to replace and there are lots of tips and videos online to help you get it right.

Plug those floorboard gaps – This will help to reduce heat loss over a large surface area. Many old properties have floorboards which add unique character to a property but during the cooler months, it can become a bit of a nuisance when it comes to keeping your home warmer. Once you have filled any floorboard gaps, adding in a large rug will also help to increase the warmth of the room. It will trap heat and block any gaps remaining in the floorboard seals. If your floorboards are very draughty, a carpet is the best way to really improve the heat loss in the room. So, keeping your home warm this winter doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise that pinches the pocket or puts strain on the purse strings. It’s about being electricity smart and doing the small things that make a big impact.

Tip – Draught excluders – This is a cheap way to reduce draughts from your doors. Take a classic long, thin cushion filled with wadding or sand and place it at the foot of an external door to reduce the flow of cold air from the outside. Click here to find out more.
Keep-draught-out-of-your-home-this-winter factsheet

Cozy up to the fire while saving money and energy, watch our short video on how. Click here