January 2013 has seen the UK hit with some of the coldest weather recorded in the last decade. Heavy snowfall and freezing conditions across the country left thousands prisoners in their own homes as snow caused travel disruption and forced schools to close.

With the January temperatures struggling to rise above freezing many parts of the UK faced dangerous icy conditions for well over a week and with winter being far from finished who’s to say the same won’t happen again.

The weather within the UK is renowned for its unpredictability and the bitter period normally lasts between the months of December and February. The cold temperatures which have crippled transport networks have also had an effect on our pockets due to the consistently rising cost of energy and heating bills. Many households around the UK are now considered to be affected by the term called “fuel poverty” and although keeping warm is a necessity, cheaper alternatives to do so will be always be welcome to those who are working within a tight budget.

Every year the winter months see households upping their usage of gas and electric in an attempt to keep warm, however with many of us counting our pennies the anticipation and dread associated with the arrival of our latest bills is enough to scare and prevent homeowners from turning up the thermostat.

Frugal heating alternatives are being adopted throughout the country in an attempt to reduce the monthly expenditure upon heating. After research and personal experience here are a few of the best tips that I have found…

• Always search for the best deal from energy suppliers. The market is full of competition and customers can take advantage of switching deals every six months to a year to ensure they are on the cheapest deal. For homeowners who are not located near mainline gas supplies cheap heating oil from websites such as Web Oil is worth a consideration.
• Wearing an extra layer when inside the home is a simple but an effective approach to keeping warm and saving money. It is surprising what a difference this will make in regards to reductions in heating usage.
• Double glazing and blocking out drafts will ensure heat is kept within the home and prevent wasted heat from escaping too easily.
• Allow as much sunlight into the home during the day and keep curtains and blinds closed throughout the night to maintain as much heat as possible. This in turn should reduce the usage and need for the boiler during the daylight hours.

About the author: Chris Algar writes on behalf of Web Oils who is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of home heating oil and kerosene. Services are available across many locations including web oil heating oil in Flintshire.