Snakes & ladders

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Draught proof your homeDoers doing this DoAction have pledged to save: 11360 kg CO₂

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Snakes and ladders - The DoNation draught exluding snake

Fed up with the chilling breezes whistling through your house? Been meaning to banish them for years? Well now’s the time to do it! With a touch of DIY or a bit of primary school style creativity your house could be warm and cosy, and you could generate a hefty whack of carbon savings for your sponsorship donation.

From making a draught excluding snake out of your old laddered tights to filling the gaps in your floorboards, there’s plenty that can be done. You could end up saving over £55 from your heating bills too - draught proofing is one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to save energy.

Why?

Cosiness

Don't you hate it when you're sitting at your dining table or on the sofa and you feel a cool draught whipping around your feet and legs? Get comfortable and draught proof that leaky home of yours.

Climate change

Draughty houses are the bane of Britain. We all know the discomfort of a bitter breeze sneaking under the front door on a cold winter evening, but few know that this UK-wide waste of energy is enough to heat 260,000 homes¹. By draught proofing your house, you could save 220Kg of CO₂ a year², equivalent to eating over a hundred beefsteaks!

Money

Draught proofing will save you on average £55 a year¹. At a cost of £100 to install it yourself, you’ll make back what you invested within two years. A pretty smart choice, really.

How?

There are several things you can do to draught proof your home, do whichever suit you and your house most. The options are:

Windows: use either self-adhesive strips of foam or brush to stick around the window frame, it’s simple and cheap.
Doors: make a crafty draught excluding snake or simply put some strips around the edges (just like the windows, above). The keyhole and letterbox are worth covering too – either with a piece of felt or a purpose made cover.
Skirting boards and floorboards: use a filler to block the cracks, by simply squeezing it into the gaps and neatly wiping off any excess.
Chimneys: if you have an unused or little-used fireplace, fill the chimney with a chimney balloon. Just remember to remove it if you do ever light a fire!

Draughts are just uncontrolled and excessive ventilation, but remember that some ventilation is a good thing, especially in kitchens, bathrooms and areas with open fires or flues. Don’t seal your house off altogether!

There are a host of grants and discounts available to help you out, handily compiled in the Energy Saving Trust's great search tool.

Make My Home Green are also a great organisation who offer detailed and impartial advice on ways to make money-saving green improvements to your home. The folks there have been nice enough to give DoNation users a 15% discount on their Advanced Home Energy Report service so mention discount code 'Do Make My Home Green' when you give them a call.

Snakes and ladders - The DoNation draught exluding snake