10 Cheap & Easy Heating Tips
Here are some simple ways to be warmer this winter.
Keeping your home cosy need not break the bank. Here are our top 10 frugal tips for keeping warm this winter:
1. Wonder where all your heat’s going? Light a candle and trace around your window edges, doors and vents – but make sure your curtains are out of the way. When the smoke starts going sideways you’ve found a draught. Window sealant tape is a cheap way to keep in the heat.
2. Don’t neglect the timer on your heat pump. Set it to come on at about 20 degrees an hour before you come home. You’ll make considerable savings compared to blasting it at 23 degrees all evening.
3. If your electric heater lacks a timer, you can buy a plug-in timer from as little as $10 from most hardware stores – they look like power adapters but have a digital interface allowing you to set appliances to come on up to seven days in advance.
4. Ensure your curtains and blinds fit snugly against the window frame. We’ve found this is more important than the material they’re made from. Floor-length curtains are better than sill-length curtains, which aren’t much better than no curtains at all.
5. Our testing found fan-less heaters (like oil-column models) often result in uneven, layered heat distribution. To avoid cold feet and a hot head, place a small desktop fan on the ground beside the heater. We found it helped an oil-column heater warm a room 3 times as fast.
6. Double-glazing doesn’t need to cost the earth. In fact, you can pick up DIY window insulator kits for under $15 per frame. All you need to do is cut the film to size and use a hair dryer to shrink it onto the window.
7. If you’re not worried about aesthetics, there’s an even cheaper way to stop heat escaping through your windows. Bubble wrap is a great temporary option, especially on internal windows in seldom-used areas. Secure it to the pane using Blu-Tack or double-sided tape, and make sure it sits flush against the frame.
8. Cat flaps are a major source of draughts. To improve the seal around the frame, unscrew the whole assembly, clean the area where it’s in contact with the door, then screw it back in tightly. Then add a thin line of silicone sealant around the frame. If draughts persist, stick some light rubber insulation tape on both sides of the flap.
9. A rug is a great way to add another layer of insulation, especially if you’ve got wooden or concrete floors. Putting down a thick rug in living areas will help prevent heat loss through the floor, especially if there’s no underfloor insulation.
10. Use pot lids when cooking. This can reduce the amount of moisture released into the air by three litres per day.
Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
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89.1% Yes, it's fair
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10.3% No, it's unreasonable
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0.7% Other - I'll share below
COME AND SEE HISTORY
THE CHRIST CHURCH VISITOR CENTRE OPEN DAY…COME AND SEE HISTORY
NZ history is to be taught in all NZ schools and kura, and this Visitor Centre is the place where some of that history can be displayed.
This new building provides for a place for visitors to gather and to learn more about the church, and the local history it represents, and also to accommodate volunteer guides who can then provide tours of the church and graveyard. It will also provide space for small functions like weddings, and hospitality for visitors. School student visits will be especially encouraged. .
There are some wonderful stories associated with this tiny church, one of the oldest in New Zealand. Te Rauparaha features in some, as does Honiana Te Puni, and Te Whiti O Rongomai, the Hero of Parihaka.
The settlers were a tough breed, and had to be to survive, but they were offered food, shelter and hospitality by the Tangata Whenua, including the whanau of Chief Manihera Matangi, whose father signed te Tiriti O Waitangi. He was a staunch Christian and true friend of the early settlers who, with a number of his descendants, is buried in the churchyard. His family still lives in the Hutt Valley
The Christ Church Taita has set up a trust, The Christ Church Taita Cottage Museum Trust, to provide a Visitor Centre for this heritage taonga, built in 1854 by the first organised group of European settlers to come to NZ, who landed on Pito-One Beach in January 1840
The full cost to establish the completed Visitor Centre is estimated to be $420,000.
So far $350,000 has been raised and spent and the building is up and is now partially complete.
COME AND SEE AND FIND OUT MORE ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3RD FROM NOON-4.30 PM
73 EASTERN HUTT ROAD TAITA LOWER HUTT…FOLLOW THE MOTORWAY SIGNS
Christmas period Plumbing.
Good morning fellow Neighbours, I hope you are all enjoying a beautiful Saturday. As Christmas is fast approaching I thought I would send a friendly reminder that Findlays Plumbing Solutions will be closed from the 27th of December - 3rd of January but open for business all other days 24/7. With no additional call out fee over the break, besides Christmas Day and Sundays.
If you have a plumbing issue or want a free quote for anything big or small, feel free to get in touch.
📧contact@findlaysplumbing.co.nz
📞 0273788706
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