Tips to Keep Your Home Warm This Winter

Irish winter can feel like it lasts forever, and with energy costs climbing higher each year, keeping your home warm without bankrupting yourself has become a genuine priority for most households. But staying cosy this winter doesn't require sophisticated technology or major renovation work. A combination of smart heating choices, practical maintenance, and straightforward preventative measures can transform your home into a warm, comfortable retreat.

Get Your Radiators Ready Right Now

This is the most important task for November. Before you switch on your heating properly for the first time, bleed your radiators. It sounds technical, but it's genuinely simple, and the difference it makes is remarkable.

Over summer, air gets trapped inside your heating system. When you turn on the heat, this trapped air prevents hot water from circulating properly, leaving you with cold spots or radiators that barely warm up. You'll feel cold patches on the radiator surface, particularly at the top, and sometimes you'll hear gurgling or banging sounds when the heating kicks in.

Here's what you need: a radiator key from any DIY shop, an old towel, and a jug. Switch off your heating completely and let the radiators cool. Find the small metal valve at the top corner of each radiator. Place the towel and jug underneath, then turn the valve a quarter turn with the radiator key. You'll hear air hissing out. Once water starts trickling through, tighten the valve back up. That's it.

Do this for every radiator, starting with the one furthest from your boiler. You'll be amazed at the difference. Many Irish homes waste enormous amounts of energy and money through radiators with trapped air. Once you've bled them, your heating system will work properly and your bills will thank you.

Upgrade to Heated Towel Rails

If you're still using traditional standalone radiators everywhere in your bathroom, consider swapping at least one for a heated towel rail. These clever fixtures have become the number one choice in Irish bathrooms for good reason.

Beyond providing that luxury feeling of wrapping yourself in a genuinely warm towel on a freezing morning, towel rails actually contribute to bathroom warmth. That matters more than people realise in Irish homes where bathrooms tend to be compact and moisture is an ongoing battle.

Electric towel rails work brilliantly for summer months when you want warm towels but don't want your whole heating system firing up. They're perfect for apartments or homes without central heating. Running costs are modest, typically using between 50W to 300W per hour. For families in homes with central heating, dual fuel models are worth considering. These connect to both your central heating system and electricity, giving you options. In winter you run them on gas heating at around 7 pence per kilowatt hour. Come summer, switch to electric mode for towel drying without heating the entire house.

Central heating towel rails work brilliantly if you've got an existing system. They use no additional electricity since they're part of your main heating network. The choice depends on your specific setup and daily routine.

Thermostatic models maintain consistent temperature automatically, which is useful for family bathrooms where you don't want sudden blasts of hot or cold water.

Sort Out Your Draughts Before Winter Properly Arrives

Draughts are the silent enemy of warm homes. Cold air sneaks in everywhere, and warm air escapes constantly. A typical Irish home loses roughly 40 percent of its heat through windows and doors alone.

Start with obvious places. Check around door frames and window seals. If gaps are visible, grab some weatherstripping or draught-proofing tape from any DIY shop. It costs pennies and takes minutes to apply. Pop draught excluders under doors, particularly those leading outside.

Your letterbox is a genuine culprit. More cold air sneaks through a typical letterbox than most people realise. Buy a simple letterbox flap for under a tenner.

If you have an unused fireplace or chimney, fit a chimney balloon. These inflate to seal the opening completely and cost very little. Remove it if you actually use the fire.

Check your attic. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland recommends 300 millimetres of insulation in the attic space. Look around your attic hatch too, as this is often poorly sealed. If insulation looks thin or patchy, consider upgrading before winter really bites. Sheep wool insulation is particularly effective and more breathable than older glass or mineral wool products.

Look at your windows. If they're single glazed or very old, they're a massive heat loss source. Upgrading to double or triple glazing makes genuine difference, though it's a bigger investment. If you can't upgrade yet, thermal curtains are excellent. They look good and genuinely reduce heat loss. Heavy drapes are far more effective than thin ones.

Use Your Thermostat Properly

This is where many Irish households waste money through simple mistakes. The Sustainable Energy Authority recommends setting your home thermostat to 20 degrees Celsius. That's it. Not 22. Not 23. Lowering your thermostat by just one degree can reduce heating bills by around 10 percent.

Here's the critical part many people get wrong: turning up your thermostat doesn't heat your home faster. A thermostat doesn't work like a gas pedal. Whether you set it to 20 or 25 degrees, the room takes the same amount of time to warm up. The higher setting just keeps the heating running longer, wasting energy and money. Setting a higher temperature won't make you warm quicker. It'll just make your bills higher.

Use your radiator valves strategically. In rooms you're using regularly, set radiator valves to a comfortable level. In rooms you're not using, close the doors and set those radiators much lower. Unused bedrooms don't need full heat.

If your home has individual room thermostats, you've got excellent control. Use it. Heat only the rooms you're actually in. Modern smart thermostats can learn your routine and adjust automatically, which is genuinely useful.

Layer Your Heating Sources

You don't need to rely on your main heating system alone. Practical alternatives can make genuine differences to comfort.

Electric blankets or hot water bottles are brilliant. Preheat your bed before sleep or use a hot water bottle to stay warm on the sofa whilst watching telly. The initial warmth costs very little to provide.

If you have a fireplace, use it. Kiln dried logs provide efficient, high heat output. They're particularly good in wood burners and multi fuel stoves. Heat logs work well in open fires and can be used immediately. Coal burns hotter if you're facing a particularly brutal cold snap.

A good bowl of soup is genuinely warming. It's not just comfort food psychology. Hot food and hot drinks raise your internal temperature and make you feel warmer. Pair soup with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate and you're providing yourself with practical warmth.

Layer your clothing. Wear base layers, add insulating middle layers like wool or fleece, then add windproof outer layers. This traps body heat far more effectively than a single thick jumper.

Practical Maintenance Through Winter

Once heating season starts, do simple checks regularly. Look for any signs of moisture or damp around radiator valves and pipe connections. Early detection prevents expensive hidden water damage.

In harder water areas of Ireland, limescale builds up on radiators and heating components. Use descaling solutions periodically to maintain efficiency. Regular cleaning prevents significant problems developing.

Make sure furniture isn't blocking radiators. It might seem convenient to put a sofa in front of a radiator, but you're essentially blocking heat from entering the room. Keep radiators and vents clear for proper air circulation.

Check your boiler's pressure periodically. If it's reading too low when cold, your system may need topping up. Your plumber can do this if you're uncomfortable with it. Low pressure means your heating won't work efficiently.

Final Thoughts

Irish winters are long and expensive, but they're also predictable. If you start preparing in November, you'll sail through winter far more comfortably than households that leave everything until December. Bleed your radiators, sort your draughts, set your thermostat sensibly, and consider upgrading key pieces like heated towel rails. These simple steps work together to keep your home genuinely warm without excessive spending. Visit us at Bathroom Warehouse to get all your heating needs this winter.