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Although snow is yet to have fallen there has been no shortage of ice-cold winter evenings. As temperatures drop it can get much more expensive to keep our home warm. Luckily, we have the perfect solution for you! Our team has put together some of the most effective tips and tricks to help save you money on your bills while still keeping you warm and cosy all winter long. 

Throw Another Layer on Instead of Turning The Temperature Up 

The first of our tips and tricks has to be one of the more obvious solutions to expensive heating bills. When relaxing within the home we have a tendency to dress like it’s summer when we the temperatures outside drop below zero degrees. Maybe this is because these are the clothes that we find most comfy or it’s simply the first one you find when the cupboard is open, whatever the case it may be time to put another layer of clothing on enabling you to turn the temperature of your home down. Even turning the temperature down a couple of degrees can contribute to saving a huge amount of money in the long run. 

Don’t Use Your Radiators To Dry Your Clothes 

A crucial part of your central heating system is the radiators which spread throughout the home. Perfectly designed to offer efficient heat distribution to all corners of your home, your radiators are key for keeping you and your family warm on the coldest of winter days. The efficiency of radiators can be hugely reduced when covering them with damp clothing items. The heat released from your covered radiators will be restricted by the clothing means a lot more energy is wasted when heating the room. A great solution to this is by using a drying rack to help dry your favourites outfits off instead of using the radiators. 

Fill Up Your Favourite Hot Water Bottle 

Found for as little as £10 a hot water bottle is definitely a very cost-effective investment for your home this winter. If you are living in a small flat or home by yourself there is simply no better way to stay warm on a budget. All you need to do is boil the kettle, fill the bottle up and stay warm for hours upon hours at minimal expense. As the hot water bottle provides a lot of heat you can easily reduce the temperature on your home which will result in a lot less energy being used to heat your home, therefore, saving you money on your bills. 

Find An Affordable Energy Supplier 

The large amounts of money that you are spending on your electricity bills may not be due to something you’re doing wrong inside of your home, it may be the case that your energy provider is charging you more than you should be paying. We recommend that you take a look at some of the other providers that are available to you and evaluate which one will be most cost-effective for your monthly usage. If you haven’t changed energy provider in over 5 years it will be very likely that there will be a package out there which is will be better than what you are currently paying. 

Add Another Layer of  Insulation To The Colder Rooms Within Home 

Every house has a particular room which may be colder than others, whether this can be caused by a slight draft or lack insulation there is no doubt that this room will be a spot where energy is going to waste. A great way to help keep these colder rooms within your home warmer is by using some quality insulation material. You can add this insulation to the walls or to the floor of the room and the result of this will be an improved energy efficiency which will help save you money when its time to pay the bills. 

Consider The Layout Of Colder Rooms of The Home 

The layout of the furniture within your home may be contributing to the large sum of money that you’re spending each month on your heating bills. If you have furniture items such as a sofa or a bed backing onto a radiator it reduces the energy efficiency of the radiator. This is because the foam found within your furniture will absorb a large amount of heat given off and will result in this heat going to waste instead of warming the rest of your room. By simply having a slight rearranging of the layout of your rooms you can move the large furniture items to a new location where they won’t be reducing the energy efficiency of your radiators. 

Keep All Your Curtains Drawn At Night 

Unknown to some, curtains really do help to keep your home insulated. This is because curtains act as a barrier between the cold windows and the heating kept within the rest of your home. It’s important that before you head off to bed you make sure that all the curtains have been drawn. This will help to keep the heat within your home for longer meaning that you don’t have to leave your heating on all night long. The less time that you need to keep your heating on for will mean the more money that is saved when it comes to the dreaded bills day. 

Get A Cosy Fire Started 

The winter months are definitely the perfect time to spend some more time with the family cuddled up watching your favourite movies. What better way to do so than with a beautiful fire going in the background to keep everyone warm and cosy. This will not only create the best movie environment but will also mean that you are able to turn off the heating and let the fire warm the home instead. This will result in a lot less money spend on your heating bills and all you need to do instead is burn through your firewood stock instead. 

Invest In High-Quality Roof Insulation 

One of the best ways to achieve a more energy-efficient home is by insulating your roof extensively. The reason for this is that it’s estimated that a whopping 25% of all the energy that is produced by your boiler escapes through your roof, this means its more important than ever to ensure your roof is fully insulated using high-quality material. A good rule of thumb is to make sure that your loft insulation is around 270 mm thick to be on the safe side. This ensures optimal heat is retained within your home and very little heat to waste. 

Treat Your Hot-Water Tank To A New Winter Jacket 

Winter is not always about treating yourself to a nice new jacket it may be time to treat your home to a lovely jacket as well to help keep it warm all winter long. Available from as little as £10, much cheaper than your next jacket, you can purchase a fully insulated jacket for your hot water tank to ensure very little heat is escaping resulting In less energy spent keeping warm water supply to your home. 

Invest In An Energy Efficient Boiler 

Without a doubt, the best way to keep your heating bills to a minimum during the coldest months of the year is by investing in a new state of the art energy efficient boiler. If you haven’t had your current boiler for over 10 years it may be time to consider looking at a replacement. The main reason for this is because as time passed by there are huge efforts made by the leading brands within the boiler industry to ensure energy efficiency constantly improves. By investing in a new boiler you will be saying goodbye to the old parts found within your boiler wasting energy and you can say hello to the dramatic decrease in heating bills thanks to your new boiler.

Turning The Heating Off Before Heading Off To Bed 

When we are sleeping there is much less of a need for our heating on, our blankets will keep us nice and warm during the cold winters nights so there is no need for you to be wasting energy on heating the rest of your home. By simply switching off your central heating before heading off to bed you will find that a lot less energy is wasted, therefore saving you money on your bills. Scared of waking up to a cold house, well, no need to worry there is a range of smart thermostats out there allowing you to start your heating wirelessly before having to step foot outside of the bed. 

Invest In A Programmable Thermostat

If you’re looking to keep your heating bills to a minimum is a great way to achieve this is by investing in a programmable thermostat. Giving you total control over when your home is heated you can set up a program that fits around your daily routine perfectly. By having a preset program in place you can leave in the morning without having to remember to turn off the boiler and then arrive home after a busy day with your home already warm for arrival with no energy wasted in between.

With summer on the horizon, we are coming closer to festival season. Whether you are excited to visit one of the many food festivals across the UK or perhaps you are looking forward to listening to your favourite musicians at one of the many music festivals lined up this year, there are plenty of great options for food this summer!

Both food and music festivals provide a great platform for mobile caterers to reach a very large audience of hungry customers. Many restaurants have even opened up shop permanently after originally starting out on the festival scene. If you are interested in trying your hand in the mobile catering scene then there are many requirements that festivals require before you can sign up, including having an up to date gas safety certification. Here at Eric Collier and Son we have been installing LPG gas equipment for many years as well as performing LPG gas safety checks for a variety of caterers.

In this list, we will be running through a list of the top places to eat when you go to a festival. You are sure to see something that you like, whether you are looking for inspiration, or you are looking for the perfect place to eat while you are soaking up the sun.

Biff’s Jack Shack

The way that we consume food has definitely changed in recent years. As we focus on ways to reduce the effect that human beings have on the planet, there has been a huge increase in the popularity of plant-based diets. Because of this, there have been a huge number of solely vegetarian and vegan restaurants that have opened up. This may come as a surprise when you may have not even had a substantial vegan option at your favourite fast food establishment possibly even two years ago.

As plant-based diets have become more popular, vegetarian and vegan cuisine has become a lot more affordable and creative. Biff’s Jack Shack is no exception! If you are looking for vegan junk food, then Biff’s Jack Shack should definitely be on your list of food vans to visit this year. Based in the UK, Biff’s Jack Shack has become very popular in the festival food scene. They serve exceptionally tasty burgers that can hold their own against their meat counterpart. On top of this, their vegan fried chicken has a texture and taste that is truly delightful. If this sounds like something you would enjoy, you can find Biff’s Jack Shack at festivals such as Glastonbury and Download.

Anna-Maes

This next food van is one for anyone that loves cheese. Anna-Maes have been serving their absolutely classic mac ‘n’ cheese at many festivals across the UK, including Glastonbury, Shambala and Green Man. Not only is the food to die for but they also offer their creamy mac ‘n’ cheese at a very affordable price. This is great for any festival-goers that aren’t looking to break the bank on fast food. They also offer a variety of toppings and sauces to make an otherwise delicious dish, even better. What’s more, is that you don’t even have to go to a festival to get your fix of cheesy goodness. Anna-Maes also regularly serves their divine mac ‘n’cheese recipe out of their trailer in London throughout the rest of the year.

Pieminster

Pieminster first hit the festival scene at Glastonbury Festival in 2004, serving mouth-watering pies for both meat lovers and vegans alike. After taking the festival scene by storm, Pieminster soon became a well-established franchise, starting off in Bristol and then opening many more stores across the UK.

You can still find Pieminster at many festivals, such as Shambala, Park Life and Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Pieminster tailor to a wide variety of dietary requirements with vegan and gluten-free options and have earned their incredible reputation. Did you know that even the Queen herself enjoys having Pieminster for her Christmas parties? Pieminster has also served food to a list of celebrities including The Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams!

On top of this, if you visit their restaurant in Nottingham, they also have their very own escape rooms where you can team up with your friends to solve puzzles to escape from a variety of different scenarios.

Finally, Pieminster only uses organic meats in their products and has inspired change through a variety of initiatives such as their “Pieminster Forest initiative” It is no wonder that Pieminster is so highly regarded today.

Paellaria

Paellaria has been serving festival goers paella for over 10 years. You will find Paellaria at festivals such as Shindig, Glastonbury and Bestival. There are many reasons that this food stall is on our list. Firstly, their stall is hard to ignore as it is very colourful and attractive to all of your senses. Another reason is that this also another a very cheap option for your dinner while you are at a festival and they are also very generous with their portion sizes.

Paellaria has a variety of options and is able to boast the fact that they only use the freshest ingredients including piquillo peppers, Brindasa Picante chorizo and local “red tractor” chicken. If you have certain dietary requirements then all of the paella served here is also gluten-free, the vegetarian option is also vegan so there is definitely something for everyone here!

The Cheese Truck

The cheese truck is exactly what you think it would be, apart from the fact that it serves food out of what was once an ice cream truck! This is another great option for cheese lovers out there, serving melted cheese toasties to peckish customers. Although they have standard cheddar toasties, they also have a variety of options to add other ingredients to the sandwich, such as pulled pork, bacon and onions.

Starting out in 2014, The Cheese Truck has been cooking delicious cheesy sandwiches at festivals including Glastonbury, Green Man and Bestival. They also serve tomato soup, travelling around new haven when not being hired for a festival or catering event.

If you are a true foodie and are up for a challenge, they also run a good challenge, requiring you to eat 10 cheese toasties in an hour! We definitely would not suggest doing this after a night of drinking but it is definitely a fun addition for another great food truck on our list.

The Duck Truck

Our final pick for places to eat while at a festival is The Duck Truck. As you can imagine, they specialise in dishes containing duck as the main ingredient, from duck wraps to duck fat chips and scotch eggs. The wraps are almost like the wraps that you would get from your local Chinese takeaway but much bigger! If this sounds like something you would enjoy, The Duck Truck can be found at Glastonbury and Latitude Festival.

Conclusion

So if you are looking for a truly delicious meal to tuck into when you are visiting your next festival then we hope that we have given you plenty of options to choose from. Maybe you even think that you can do it better than some of the caterers on this list? If so, make sure that you regularly have all of your gas appliances checked and that you have an up to date LPG gas certificate so that you can legally sign your food truck up to serve food at one of the many music festivals in the UK this year. Maybe next year, we will be including your food van in our list of top picks for festival food.

At Eric Collier and Son, our expert heating engineers can carry out all your central heating Cardiff needs including installation, maintenance, and repairs. They are fully trained and qualified so you can rest assured that you will be provided with a high-quality central heating service. We put customer service at the forefront of our business ethos so we will always be honest with all the work we are doing throughout the service so there will be no surprises in the bill. Our friendly experts are happy to answer any of your questions so call our Cardiff office today on 029 20 508711.

Central Heating Installation

If you have a commercial or domestic property which does not currently have a central heating system then you can count on Eric Collier and Son to install the best central heating Cardiff system for your needs. Central heating is worth the money as it can reduce your energy bills and create a more comfortable living environment. A good central heating system can keep you warm during the cold weather by efficiently heating your home. Eric Collier & Son can provide you with a cost and power effective heating solution for your property. When it comes to choosing the way to heat your home and property, we can supply you with a variety of options to suit your requirements. Our heating engineers are trained to install and repair many types of central heating and boiler systems including Combi Boilers, Conventional Boilers, and System Boilers.

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Winter Boiler Maintenance Swansea

If you have experienced a heating failure during the winter in your home or business, you would probably say it was a horribly stressful experience. An easy way to prevent this from happening is to carry out quick and easy boiler maintenance as well as having your boiler serviced annually. Eric Collier and Son have compiled a list of boiler maintenance Swansea techniques that you can do yourself to keep your boiler working throughout winter.

Christmas can be an expensive time without the need to fork out even more money on boiler repairs or a boiler service. Carry out the following DIY maintenance tips now and make it your new year’s resolution to get a professional boiler service Swansea. We recommend having your boiler serviced once a year minimum. A regular servicing can ensure the longevity of your boiler and keep it working as efficiently as possible. At Eric Collier, our skilled gas safe heating engineers Swansea will evaluate your boiler on a date of your choosing. They will then provide you with a clear breakdown of any work that may be required on it. Call our Swansea office today on 01792 620688

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Boilers Services at Eric Collier and Son

At Eric Collier and Son Ltd, we are specialists in gas, oil and LPG boilers. Whether you need an installation, service or repair for your gas, oil or LPG appliance, Eric Collier and Son can provide a dedicated expert to help. Our service footprint covers Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and the rest of South Wales. Contact us today on 0845 2000100 for advice or a free quote.

Choosing a Boiler Fuel

Gas boilers are the most commonly used fuel source in the UK. However, nearly 3.6m households all around the UK have no relation with gas lines. This means they need to find off-grid alternatives to natural gas. More often than not, oil boilers are installed where there is no access to gas. Oil is not an environmentally friendly fuel source which is probably causing the increase in LPG being used as an alternative to gas instead. LPG use is still fairly low in comparison to gas and oil but we predict there will be continued growth in households making the switch to decrease their carbon footprint. READ MORE