Now that the 2009/2010 winter season is nearly upon us, lets not forget those pesky cold draughts.

And despite people moaning about their heating bills and the continued high cost of energy, the average household will still lose 20% of its heat thought draughts and bad ventilation.

So draught proofing is a must for all householders. And people are going to have to consider the worst offending spots – such as letterboxes, skirting boards, floorboards, window and doorframes, and down chimneys – if they want to help reduce their heating bills.

And it needn’t be an expensive job, with many products comfortably under the £20 price tag.

Lets take an obvious one first. In many houses, letterboxes are veritable gaping holes to the outside world. Here you must employ a draught excluder that lets letters in, but also one which is sealed enough to keep the icy air out unless the postman is doing his business. Buy one which is strong, blends in with your style of door, but also does the trick when the wind blows.

Now, cold air whistling down an unused chimney is only slightly worse than all that expensively generated hot air rushing up it. So the modern way to prevent that happening is buying a chimney balloon. Usually made from a strong laminate, a chimney balloon is basically a bag which is inflated in the cavity to make a snug fit and keep the cold air outside and the warm air inside. The bags are tear resistant and long lasting.

With floorboard draughts. so much heat can be lost that it is worth spending a little time and money seeing how you can keep the cold air out. The best solution here is to use a filler which fills the holes without spoiling the look of the floorboards, or falling away when the boards naturally expand and contract with the changes in temperature. This technique has the added advantage of keeping out noise, insects and smells.

Door draughts are often over-looked, but a door that is not snug to the floor, can be equivalent to having a window open on a winter’s day. And here it’s a very simple solution and one which has stood the test of time. Invest in a snappy snake door draught excluder. Basically a long length of hard wearing material filled with say grain, or other absorbing material, a snake draught excluder will help keep those chilly blasts out of the room.

So, be prepared for the winter. Stop those draughts and help your energy bills.

Guest Article by Neil Camp