Winter has officially arrived and the temperatures are dropping.

Now’s the perfect time to consider some affordable, healthy and sustainable options to stay cozy through the colder months.

These tips can help keep your home warm:

• ensure you only heat the room you are in and keep doors closed
• seal draughts around windows and doors
• consider wall and ceiling insulation
• install thick curtains or double glazing on windows to keep the warmth inside.

And of course, you can cut down on heating by throwing on an extra jumper or blanket on the bed.

When it comes to home heating, consider more environmentally friendly options such as reverse-cycle air conditioning.

Wood smoke is a major cause of air pollution and can impact both the environment and public health.

During winter, wood heaters can produce up to 7 times as much pollution as cars.

Council approval or development consent is required to install and operate a new wood fire heater.  

If your home has an existing wood heater, follow these tips to reduce wood smoke:

• store freshly cut wood for 8-12 months in a well-ventilated area before burning
• never burn household rubbish or treated or painted wood
• open the air intake and flue on your heater for 5 minutes before and 20 minutes after adding fuel to your wood heater
• if there is smoke coming from your chimney, increase the air supply to the fire
• don’t let your fire smoulder overnight.

Heating costs can add up but there are services available which can provide help to those who are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

Check out our website for more information.