Stopping draughts can be a very easy and cost effective way to help save energy, make your home more comfortable and reduce your heating bills.

Draughts can cause heat to escape from almost everywhere in your house but particularly through windows and outside doors.

Our top 10 helpful tips are:

1. Check the fit of all your windows and outside doors – make sure there are no gaps
2. Fit a draught excluding flap behind your letter box and cover the keyhole
3. Remember to insulate your loft hatch or door and fit draught-proofing around its edges
4. Put metal or plastic draught-proofing strips around the sides of the doors
5. Fit draught excluders to the bottoms of doors (attaching strips securely so that they don’t trip you up)
6. Fit plastic sheeting to window frames with double-sided tape or magnetic strip, for a cost effective form of double glazing. Make sure it is easily detachable so that you can escape in the event of fire
7. Hang heavy curtains or curtains with thermal linings. When you draw curtains, remember not to cover radiators which are under windows.
8. Use a floor board gap filler such as DraughtEx
9. Insert insulation boards such as Celotex under floors 
10. Seal the edges of fittings in walls (such as cat flaps and tumble dryer hoses) with expanding foam.

IMPORTANT

Always remember to leave ventilation for gas fires, boilers and coal fires. Never block ventilators or air bricks. They are there to remove fumes. Air circulation is necessary. Kitchens and bathrooms also need ventilation to avoid excess moisture building up