With October upon us again Ralph offers 20 tips below on how to stay cosy this winter when the bad weather hits whilst saving money on your energy bill in the process.
“Change your bulbs” is a common chant from those dishing out energy saving advice so we set ourselves a challenge of compiling a list of 20 tips without mentioning energy saving bulbs or energy saving lighting at all and we remarkably succeeded with ease.
1: New to purchase.ie these smart wifi wall sockets with USB ports installed in your home you can control your electric devices from an app or even through Alexa or Google Home. If you accidently leave an appliance on you can switch it off even when you are not home and you can set your heater to come on 30 minutes before you get to your house so you arrive into a cosy home. If in rented accommodation or not in a position to do a wall install you can also reap the same benefits with these or wifi power extension strips plug in wifi smart plugs or wifi power extension strips
2: More new products to the purchase.ie range for winter 2019 these nicely crafted mirrors available in a rectangular or round shape double up as far infrared room heater. Using just 360W per hour when in use they will only add about 6 to 7 cent per hour to your energy bill costs.
3: Introduced to the Purchase.ie range in 2018 these low energy Far Infrared panels also consume just 360W of energy per hour whilst in use. Just one heater will effectively act as a primary heating source for an area of 9Msq on the coldest winter days in a standard building. A recommended heating source for allegy sufferers as it does not distribute dust around the room.
4: Introduced to the Purchase.ie range in February 2019 these mini Wall Socket Heaters are designed to heat up an area quickly. It has an in built adjustable fan speed feature and an the temperature it opearates at is also adjustable. A great addition to rooms where space is tight and at 800W it only adds about 12 cent per hour to your energy bill whilst in use.
5: Another product added to our range back in February of this year was these Smart Wifi Heaters made from tempered glass. You can control when this Heater is on or off or what temperature it runs at through your phone APP or even voice control through Alexa or Google Home. Comes with feet to act as a portable freestanding heater or wall fixings should you prefer to give it a permanent home in your house.
6: If water pipes burst in your attic during cold weather it could cause thousands of euro damage. For just 20 euro you can completely eliminate that risk with a Frost Watcher Heater. These 450W heaters sit in standby mode adding nothing to your energy bill unless the room temperature drops to 2 degrees Celsius. For protecting your water supply outside an Outdoor Tap Cover is strongly recommended.
7: Chimney balloons are one of the first products Purchase.ie sold when we started our business almost 10 years ago and are still one of the most popular. Basically they are designed to eliminate down draughts (and / or updraughts) in a room through an unused fireplace. Essentially they are designed to insulate fireplaces without causing air tightness which can lead to mould issue. Available in several different sizes.
8: Window Glazing film is another popular Purchase.ie product that has been available through our range for a number of years. Keenly priced this product is the most cost effective way to add a layer of insulation to your windows and draught proof your room better. Available in three size packs.
9: Door Draught Excluders can make an immeasurable different in a room. Under door foam draught excluders are ideal on floor surfaces but on a carpet surface you are probably best off installing a door seal or a door brush strip.
A very effective draught proof letterbox is one called a Magflap. The magnetic nature of these cleverly designed letterboxes ensures that your letterbox will always be draught proof and it won’t flap in windy conditions. 
10: These power free Smartfans are fitted to your stove and when the stove heats up the fan kicks in and distributes heat evenly throughout the room. With this product your room will heat up faster and it is estimated that it will help you reduce your fuel costs by up to 20% over a winter season.
11: Another fan based product designed to distribute heat more evenly around your room is a Radiator Booster. If you have an oil or gas central heating system the radiator booster is plugged in and placed on top of your radiators. When the radiator reaches 30 degrees celsius the fan turns on and blows heat into the centre of the room.
12: A Firewood Moisture Meter is designed to measure the moisture content in firewood in order to establish whether or not it is ready to be burnt. If moisture content is greater than 18% then it is best to leave it to dry out further as energy is wasted heating the water vapour in the log instead of heating your home.
13: Allowing your heating oil to run out can prove to be an expensive process with it comes to plumber charges. These oil tank gauges allow you to always be easily aware of what is left in the tank at all times and can help you to control your usage more wisely and thus save money.
14: One of our most popular products in the Purchase.ie range over the last 12 months is these rotary chimney cleaning kits called the Smartsweep which attach to a power drill and safely and conveniently allow you to thoroughly clean your fireplace from your living room as opposed from the rooftop. Cleaning your chimney ensures that your fire will burn hotter and cleaner and result in a much efficient use of your burning fuel.
15: Allowing hot water heated in your cylinder go unused can be a frustrating process. These innovative Foil Cylinder Jackets available exclusively from Purchase.ie will keep the water heated hot for longer and prolong the time you have to use it. Available in three different sizes to suit all tanks.
16: Of course foil can also be a very useful energy saver when used behind a radiator also as it reflects the heat back into the room. Indeed it is estimated that 40% of the heat from radiators is lost through the wall. We offer a few products in this area but recommend Thermflect as the most effective and keenly priced.
17: Another practical, money saving and most importantly safe product to use on cold winter nights is these Electric Hot Water Bottles. Simply attach to charger for 15 mins to heat up and insert in your bed and it will keep you cosy all night long. Unlike traditional hot water bottles there is no need to refill every night and run the risk of scalding yourself with boiling water.
18: Chimney capping cowls can be used to close off unused fireplaces for draught proofing and to keep the birds from nesting but the most popular product in the Purchase.ie chimney cowl range are the H Cowls and OH Cowls which help to prevent down draughts and up draughts in your home and thus improve the performance of your home. Most of the Chimney cowls we supply at very keen prices come in a traditional terracotta colour or in black, cream or stainless steel. Other cowl options in our range can be viewed here.
19: Monitoring your electricity usage can help you better understand where you are wasting energy and allow you to adjust your behaviour accordingly and save money. These Smart Energy Monitors give you a real time reading of how much you are spending on electricity at any given time. They can come with a memory card which will store data for you and allow you to closely analyse it over time. To measure how much an individual electric appliance is adding to your energy bill these plug in electricity monitors are perfect.
20: Electric hot water taps can provide you with just the amount of hot water you need at any moment in the day without the need to turn on your immersion or central heating. They are fitted with an element within the tap itself so there is no need for a storage tank under your sink either. Keenly priced they include a digital screen which allows you to adjust the water temperature accordingly. Kitchen and bathroom options are available.