2 cheap and useful items to help save money on energy bills

More heating is needed to combat cooler temperatures, but that can be an expensive endeavour.

However, there are a couple of cheap items that can help contribute to some savings in the long run.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, households can save up to £85 a year if they install draught-proofing.

This is where you block up gaps where heat is escaping in individual rooms or around your home generally.

While ways to improve this can come from checking your loft insulation, plugging up gaps around the home is something you can do yourself with relatively little hassle.

Draught-proofing strips recommended to save money on energy bills

Draught-proofing strips and single-sided adhesive foam tape are two cheap items that can be used for this purpose.

Both can be bought for £2-4 from various retailers, and to help find the gaps to plug, you can use a thermal imaging camera.

Octopus Energy offers these out on loan to customers, and more information can be found on their website here.

They can also be bought from various retailers and help find cold spots to investigate.

Discussing the use of the strips and the tape, Graeme Shelley, Managing Director at Factory Direct Flooring, shared: “Draught excluders usually look like long cushions that are designed to be pushed against the gap under a door.

“But if you’re either short on floor space, or the gaps where cold and damp air is blowing in are above floor height, things like draught-proofing strips and single-sided adhesive foam tape are ideal and easy to install yourself.

“They’re designed to create a physical seal around windows and doors, effectively blocking cold air from entering and preventing warm air from escaping.”

Nicholas Auckland, heating and energy expert at Trade Radiators, concurred and said: “Foam and rubber strips are particularly effective around doors and older windows because they compress to fill uneven gaps, reducing air flow immediately.”

Winston Osborne, Technical Director at Atlas Aluminium, added: “Draught-proofing strips can create a reliable thermal barrier to keep in more heat.

“These are designed for the edges of windows and doors. When you shut the door, the strip compresses to fill the gap perfectly.

“They create a robust, weather-resistant seal that stops warm air pushing out and cold air sneaking in through the frame.”

Finally, Stephen Hankinson, Energy Efficiency Expert at Electric Radiators Direct, said: “This tape, often made of foam or rubber, helps seal gaps that allow draughts, reducing heat loss and maintaining a more stable indoor temperature.

“By creating a tighter seal, it reduces the strain on heating systems, leading to lower energy consumption and, ultimately, reduced energy bills.”

While it is important to plug some gaps around the home, Alex Peters, cost guide expert at Checkatrade, warned about going overboard.

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They shared: “If you plug every gap in your home without allowing for good air flow, you can encourage damp and condensation which will end up costing you more to fix in the long run.

“When building in good draught exclusion, consider hiring a vetted tradesperson to consult on how you can meet this balance.

“They will be able to advise on how you can build in good air flow, for example, through an extractor fan or a trickle vent.”