Winter is here, and my god has it been cold so far. Here in the UK we understand that it doesn’t snow much and temperatures never go below -5 degrees celsius – Canada, Russia, Siberia and other countries in the northern hemisphere have this challenge to deal with.

And so I bet you are sick of us ‘Brits’ whining about the weather. But where you have snow we have rain, and it gets into all our clothes and quite literally depresses the best of people.

So I suppose it is best to stay at home and keep warm – wait, how much does that cost nowadays? Damn. I guess it’ll be a wooly jumper day again people *sigh*.

Not only that but fuel prices apparently aren’t going to fall this season (REF: Ofgem) and that means less travelling and more staying at home.

Does that mean you should have a stock up on wooly jumpers? damn no. Infact, I have some tips for you .

Insulation

We should all wrap our homes in insulation – after all it both keeps us warm and reduces our energy consumption thus reducing over-expenditure when the bills arive. About 270mm is recommended for lining your loft and it should last up to 4 years – insulation is not cheap however over its life span you will make up that cost through energy saving bills.

Smart Meter

If (like me) you are concerned about costs this Christmas then get yourself a smart meter which keeps a close eye on your energy consumption. Some energy meters are actually interactive and can allow you to set yourself weekly targets. They also keep your supplier informed real time and so British Gas (prime example) can not decide to send you a completely ridiculous bill.

Insulate Yourself!

Okay – I covered this earlier. Wooly jumpers and warm clothes should be worn if you are really concerned about money. By no means does wearing a jumper in your home dictate whether you have litter or no money though as fashion and social trends mean that wearing baggy and thick clothing is normal. Wearing a t-shirt and shorgts in Winter however is not.

Carbon Monoxide

Beware of carbon monoxide, dubbed as the silen t killer it is un-detectable and can take no time to effect people. New carbon monoxide readers were readily available from 2002 and I recommend you get one to sit beside your fire alarm.

If you do have a carbon monoxide leakage this Winter and something happens such as there is a snow storm and you are stuck or the phone lines are down then by all means ventilate your home! Keep a window open (yes we know its cold) and sit tight.

Time for a change?

If your smart meters and wooly jumpers are not doing the trick then perhaps it is time you switched supplier?  As with most tariffs if you are not paying my direct debit then chances are you are paying over the odds. Perhaps you should talk to the bank? or like I say just switch supplier. For the best deals go to a price comparison website (my favourite is confused.com) and have a look.

Patchett Joinery