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It's starting to get Cold: 11 Ways to keep your home warm, safe and save money this Autumn and Winter - what to look for in a heater - the list!

There's no point denying it any further - we're now definitely in Autumn and heading towards Winter with dustings of snow already hitting the ground recently in western parts of NSW and the weather turning from mid Autumn warmth just days ago to early morning coolness.

It's also worth looking at what the state government may offer in rebates to meet energy costs. In NSW residents may qualify for a number of rebates and discounts. There's information for pensioners, families to help you and other offers to help improve the energy efficiency of your home. To find out more, visit: energysaver.nsw.gov.au/households/rebates-and-discounts

1. Use your curtains or blinds

Heat from the sun is free so let's not waste it. Open your curtains to let the sunlight in during the day and take that chill edge off the air within. When it gets dark, shut your curtains or blinds, which act as another layer of insulation and keep warmth in your rooms. You should also make sure you don’t have any leaks or gaps so that the warm air can stay in and the cold air stays out – this also helps to reduce condensation.

2. Use timers on your central heating

Turning the heating on a little earlier, such as half an hour before you get up in the morning, but at a lower temperature is cheaper than turning it on just as you need it at a higher temperature. This is because these heat up at a constant speed whether you set your thermostat to 20°C or 25°C. When the room is warm turn it off. Unless it's bitterly cold your heated rooms will maintain this heat level for a few hours. There's no point to leaving your heating on low all day as then you’re just paying for heat when you don’t need it.

3. Turn down the dial

While on central or radiant heating, you probably don't need it up as high as you think. The World Health Organisation previously recommended a minimum temperature of 21°C in the living room, but Public Health England, where they definitely get a decent fall of snow each Winter, has revised this to 18°C in 2014. Research shows that turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bill by up to 10%. So keep the dial at 18°C, save money and avoid the negative impacts of a cold home. It may feel a bit like an English Summer to begin with ..... but it's certainly just as comfortable as being outdoors in our own early Spring. 

4. Maximise your insulation

When it comes to heat, around 25% is lost through the roof. This can be easily reduced by installing 25cm of insulation throughout your ceilings. It’s also worth seeing what’s going on in your walls, as around a third of the heat in an uninsulated home is lost this way. Cavity wall insulation could save up to $300 or more a year in heating bills. If you plan to install insulation yourself, be sure you can do it safely. If you are unsure about any aspect of the job, contact a professional. Insulation, and installation also needs to adhere to Building Codes of Australia regulations and relevant Australian standards.

When choosing insulation, the most important factor is the R-value, which measures a material’s capacity to resist heat flow. The greater the value, the better the insulation and the lower your power bill.

Bulk insulation is suited to colder climates –  like a quilt it traps air in still layers. It can be made of materials such as fibreglass, polyester and natural wool and comes in batts, blankets or loose fill. If you are keen to go green, ask a professional installer or manufacturer about using recycled materials.

Reflective insulation is usually aluminium foil laminated onto paper or plastic. Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) has grown in popularity in recent years. The insulation is made on site by mixing and spraying chemicals that react and form a foam, which is used to fill cracks and gaps.

Good insulation in a home will also reduce heat when it counts - Summer, and that, in turn, will cut down the need for fans, air-conditioning and the associated energy costs.

5. Move your couch

It might feel great to have your favourite seat in front of the heater, but it’s absorbing heat that could be warming your home. By moving it away from the radiant heat source, hot air can circulate freely. The same goes for your curtains or drying clothes – keep them away from the radiator so that you can get the most out of your heat source. Better yet, have a look at the great range of heaters you can now buy which come with in built circulating air systems - these will send the heat out into the room and heat the space a lot quicker and a lot more gently than those which 'bake' your skin. These heaters can also, once they've taken that icy chill off the room, be simply turned off again.

6. Wrap up warm

Although it's nice to get around in bare feet or thongs and stick to t-shirts so you can flap your arms around all year long this can get to the point of being ridiculous when it's icy and put your health in danger. I know its a bit old-fashioned but those who wear singlets rarely get sniffles, or cold, and if your toes are turning bright red then blue, put some socks on! 

Investing in a decent pair of slippers, putting on a long sleeved t-shirt or real wool jumper will reduce your need to turn the home into a Summer-like temperature or turn up the heat. Autumn and Winter air can actually be a bit of a tonic, especially when it's blowing straight out of Antarctica, exhilarating, clean, bracing. Keep those indoors shoes off, shirts off yoga moments but once you're done, rug up, just as you would after any sports when you start to cool down.

7. Block out the draughts

Yes; spend $5 and get yourself some draught stoppers for those doors. Even a simple solution such as a making your own sausage dog draught stopper will help keep the warmth in your home. It is estimated that DIY draught-proofing your doors, windows and cracks in the floor could save $150 per year. You can do this yourself for very little cost. Self-adhesive rubber seals around doors and windows and door draught stoppers are relatively cheap and easy to install. So it’s worth getting those doors and windows sealed before Winter properly kicks in.

8. Install thermostatic radiator valves

Research at the University of Salford has shown that installing heating controls and thermostatic radiator valves results in energy savings of 40% compared to a house with no controls. These work by allowing you to programme your heating to come on at predefined times – so you only use energy when you need it. New smart technology can also be controlled remotely via your mobile so you can turn on your heating on the way home, ensuring it’s nice and toasty when you arrive.

9. Upgrade your heater or HWS

As mentioned above, if your heater or central heating is more than 10 years old, it may be time to replace it with a new, more efficient model. Depending on your preferred type and house, you could save up to $750 with a new A-rated energy saving version. These use less energy to produce the same amount of heat. Plus, if it’s new, you’re less likely to have any issues going into the Winter season. If you already have a great model, it's time to have it serviced before something goes 'bang!' one cold and frosty night. If you're pulling the radiant portable gas or electric heater out of the cupboard now, it's time to give it a clean and get rid of any dust that may have built up so you're not breathing this in, or starting the kind of fire you don't want, with its first use, or inhibiting its ability to work well - again saving you money. 

Likewise with your hot water service - if it's getting on in years it may be costing you money. Upgrading to an insulated model will bring down the power bills dramatically as you won't be paying to keep water incessantly hot. There's also a great range of instant heat models available today. 

10. Buy some covers for your skylights

This may not apply to everyone but as more and more of us are installing skylights to brighten corners of our homes instead of running up electric and carbon bills with all-day and half the night electric lighting, if you don't have a screen you can pull across to keep the heat in at night, it may be worth looking into doing this now. As you have installed insulation in your roof to keep the heat in in Winter or the heat out in Summer, installing a skylight blind would make sense too. There's motorised and manual versions available and these will, in turn, save your heat and save your dollars.

11. Choose a heater that will match your budget and where and how you will use it + change the battery in your fire alarms

One of the ways we blow the energy budget when it gets colder is to run the wrong heater in the wrong space for too long, especially if you do not have solar panels on the roof and storage for the same to use when needed. There are usually 3 options we look at in these.

Small fan heaters are less expensive to buy, but can have higher running costs and will only heat a relatively small space. They're good for a short blast to take the chill off a room but not for sustained heating over a few hours or longer.

Oil column heaters may be the cheapest on the market to run (on average) – but only by a narrow margin ahead of convection heaters (like panel and micathermic panels). There are some comfort trade-offs for that cheap running cost, primarily being slow to heat and ineffective at heating a whole room if they don't have a fan. Choice advises that if you have a reversible ceiling fan, it'll help disperse the heat around the room more evenly.

Convection heaters usually have a fan which enhances the convection effect by forcing the warm air from the heater. When you use the fan, the room will heat up more quickly and evenly. Without it, the air is more likely to form horizontal temperature layers which could leave you with cold feet – particularly if there's not much movement in the room. The fan will break up these layers to a certain extent. With so many options in this range coming onto the market, there will be one to suit your home and its room sizes. These can be free standing or mounted on a wall - think about what will best suit you and your home; do you want something that will be more portable or will you want to heat one main room only?

What to look for; does it have: 

App compatible; Whether you can control the heater via an app on your smartphone.

1. Fan; check if the heater has a fan to help spread the heat around the room. Also ask about the noise level - you don't want a small aeroplane noise in your rooms drowning out conversation of music.
2. Frost watch; great for colder mornings. This feature keeps the room at a low temperature (about 5°C), to avoid frost or freezing in the room, with relatively little power consumption. 
3. Timer:  a digital or mechanical timer that allows you to set the heater to run at specific times or periods. Some timers don't have an option to turn the heater on, but only turn the heater off after a set period (so that it won't run all night).
4. Thermal cut-out: this prevents the heater from overheating and potentially causing damage or even a fire.
5. Thermostat: maintains a pre-set temperature.
6. Tilt switch:  this switches the heater off if it tilts over or falls. Some models don't state whether they have one, but still turn off when pushed over. 
7. Fan-only option: For models with a built-in fan, as if the fan can be used on its own without heating? This is handy for cooling in summer. 
8. Cord storage: check whether the power cord can be neatly stored, such as on hooks on the heater, when moving or packing away the heater.

And of course, while on heaters - please replace your fire alarm batteries as we head into colder weather and do not place anything flammable, such as clothing you want to dry, near heaters. 

But wait, there's MORE! Fire and Rescue NSW provide a Winter Safety checklist to help prepare you, your family and your home for a safe winter. Download that HERE