You might not be able to see them, but small gaps around your home can let warm air escape and allow cold air in. The result? Your heating has to work harder, your home feels less comfortable, and your energy bills can increase.

The good news is that many draughts are easy to find and simple to fix.

Why is draught proofing important?

Even small gaps around doors, windows and loft hatches can have a surprising impact on your home’s warmth.

By reducing unwanted draughts, you can:

• Keep your home warmer for longer
• Reduce your energy bills
• Lower your carbon footprint
• Make your home feel more comfortable throughout the winter

Draught proofing is one of the quickest and most cost-effective improvements you can make, and many solutions cost very little.

Spend 10 minutes checking your home

This week, set aside just 10 minutes to look around your home.

Check around external doors

Can you feel a cold breeze around the edges of your front or back door?

Look for:

• Worn or damaged seals
• Gaps beneath the door
• Light visible around the frame

Simple self-adhesive draught strips or a brush strip can often solve the problem.

Feel for draughts around windows

Older windows can let in cold air through small gaps.

On a breezy day, carefully move your hand around the edges of your windows to see if you can feel cold air coming in.

If you find gaps, draught-proofing strips may help improve the seal while still allowing the window to open and close properly.

Check letterboxes, keyholes and loft hatches

Some of the biggest culprits are often the easiest to overlook.

Take a look at:

• Letterboxes
• Keyholes
• Loft hatches
• Pipework entering the home
• Gaps around extractor fans

Adding a letterbox brush or insulating your loft hatch can help reduce heat loss without affecting ventilation.

Don’t forget ventilation

While it’s important to stop unwanted draughts, your home still needs good ventilation to reduce moisture and help prevent condensation and mould.

Avoid blocking:

• Air bricks
• Trickle vents in windows
• Purpose-built ventilation systems

These are there for a reason and help maintain healthy indoor air quality.

Small changes can make a big difference

Draught proofing won’t solve every heating issue, but it can make your home feel noticeably warmer and reduce the amount of energy needed to keep it comfortable.

Combined with other simple measures, such as loft insulation and efficient heating controls, it can help lower your energy bills throughout the winter.

Need advice on making your home warmer?

Not sure where your home is losing heat or what improvements would make the biggest difference?

At Arran Eco Savvy, we offer free, impartial energy advice to help you understand your options and make informed decisions about improving your home’s energy efficiency.

Whether you’re looking for simple, low-cost measures or planning bigger improvements, we’re here to help.

Get in touch to find out more or keep an eye on our upcoming energy events and workshops.

Next week…

In Week 6 of our countdown, we’ll be looking at how to get your heating system ready before the cold weather arrives, helping you stay warm and avoid unexpected problems when you need it most.