Six vital checks to prepare the home for winter and slash energy bills

Check boiler pressure

Examining the boiler pressure level is a must as it can provide a good idea of what state the central heating is in.

BOXT experts said: “If the gauge is in the red zone (too high or too low), then your hot water and heating might cut off and it could cause damage to the boiler.

“If the pressure is too low then you can top it up yourself, you just need to know which method your boiler uses for repressurising.”

If the pressure is too high, the experts suggest bleeding the radiators to relieve some of the pressure in the system.

They continued: “If this doesn’t work or you are regularly experiencing high or low boiler pressure, then it’s worth getting an engineer out to take a look at what’s causing the problem.”

Home insulation

In addition to the wall, roof and floor insulation, insulating the water tank and radiators is a quick and easy way to improve efficiency, according to BOXT.

They said: “With options such as a hot water cylinder jacket, which you can fit yourself and only costs around £15, you can quickly start making improvements. Insulating or improving the existing insulation of your loft space can be especially effective in keeping your house warm.”

Insulate the pipes

To avoid the problem of burst pipes in freezing temperatures, people can take precautions to insulate them wherever they can. This is also known as pipe lagging.