Climatologists and meteorologists have predicted that the next few winters could be among the coldest and fiercest on record. Our rural heating oil customers in counties like Suffolk, Devon and Gwynedd are going to be particularly at risk from adverse weather conditions, with their homes more exposed out in the open countryside. So, what should rural homeowners be doing to prepare their homes for the coming winter and those to follow?
Repair tiles and guttering
If the experts’ predictions are correct, we can expect more storms and weather fronts in future, and they’re going to hang around for a lot longer too. When your home is being buffeted by strong winds, anything that’s loose or damaged could come away, causing injury, damage to property and inconveniencing you to repair. Make sure that your roofing tiles and exterior guttering are clear and in good condition before the winter sets in in earnest.
Bleed radiators
Over time, your radiators can accumulate air pockets which require more energy to heat, wasting heating oil and costing you money. Your radiators need to be bled once a year, so look for the bleed valve and release any excess gas which may have built up in your central heating system during the last year or so.
Service boilers and tanks
It’s not just your radiators that could be reducing efficiency. Heating oil boilers and oil storage tanks need maintenance too, so if you’ve not had your systems checked out by an OFTEC registered engineer recently, now could be the time. The last thing you want during the cold weather is an inefficient central heating system, or worse, dangerous carbon monoxide leakage.
Insulate everything!
So now that you’ve made sure that your heating system hasn’t gotten any worse over the year, how about looking to make it better? Are your walls, loft spaces, heating oil boiler and pipes properly insulated? By investing in some quality insulation, you can increase the efficiency of your heating system no end, saving you money on your heating oil bills for the years to come.
Exclude all draughts
Even after insulating your home, you could find that your boiler is working harder than it needs to. If draughts are entering your living space from outside or other, colder parts of your home, you’ll be feeling much colder and subsequently reaching for your thermostat more often. By investing in a few draught excluders, you can cut out that influx of cold air and save yourself money and discomfort when the weather starts to get chilly.
Buy heating oil now!
If your heating oil is starting to run low, now is the time to stock up. If you wait until you’re running perilously low and a cold snap hits, you could find yourself at the bottom of a queue of homeowners all waiting for their heating oil deliveries. Worse still, leaving orders until the last minute could mean you pay more than you have to. Don’t let this happen to you – take a look at our range of heating oil products and order your top up supply now.
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