AN EXPERT has issued a stark warning to Brits about a common post-holiday mistake that could cost you hundreds every year.
Unless you’re still in the festive spirit and like to keep the decorations up until January 6th, you’ve already started to put tinsel and baubles away.
However, you need to be careful when storing these items in the loft as it can leave you out of pocket,a heating expert has warned.
Putting away heavy boxes of tinsel, fairy lights and other ornaments on top of loft insulation squashes it and will dramatically cut the amount of heat consumers keep in their home.
This simple error could cost Britons £380 every year – and thousands of pounds over time.
Dave Raval of The National Warm Homes Council said: “It’s estimated that the average detached home will pay up to £380 a year more in heating bills because their loft insulation has been crushed by boxes – over the years this will quickly become thousands of pounds wasted.
“Properly insulating your loft, with around 300mm of insulation, will save every household hundreds of pounds in their heating bills every year.
”But crushing it with boxes and boards halves its effectiveness, as it works by being fluffy and trapping air.
”There really is cash flying out of your attic if you get this wrong and real savings to be made if you protect your loft insulation,” the whizz told the Mirror.
A survey of 2,000 householders for Loftzone, which makes storage systems for lofts, found that a staggering 41% of people were piling items, including Christmas decorations, on top of the insulation and almost half had no idea that crushing the fluffy material will have a negative impact on its heat retaining powers.
The Government instructs that loft insulation must be 270mm thick – and by squashing it you will reduce the air it traps and so the thermal resistance is cut by up to a whopping 60%.
It is estimated that a staggering eight million homes in the UK have less than half of the loft insulation required.
Moreover millions more used to have enough – however, it has been ruined by squashing it with boxes or boards, and other possessions such as Christmas decorations.
This question’s a bit simpler to answer. Your Christmas tree should be down by the 12th day of Christmas, which falls on January 6.
This date marks the Epiphany – the day when the Three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem.
The Epiphany is the official end of the festive season.
HERE'S what you need to know if you're buying a real Christmas tree:
First thing’s first: buy a pot (if it doesn’t come in one already).
You’ll need to treat your tree just like a houseplant and give it water and attention.
Make sure the container has good drainage – and it’s a good idea to put something underneath to catch the excess water.
Check the soil everyday to make sure it’s not drying out.
If it feels dry, give it some water. If it still feels moist, leave it alone as too much water can also kill a tree.
Also check the LED bulbs on your tree lights aren’t too hot as they could burn it, and keep your tree away from radiators.
When Christmas is over, try planting it in the garden so you can dig it up and use it again next year.
It’s a good idea to take it out of its pot when you do re-plant it though, as large trees don’t survive well in pots as their roots need space to grow.
As the legend goes, tree spirits take shelter in Christmas greenery, such as your tree and holly, during the festive season.
But, once this period of time has passed, the spirits need to be released back into the wild.
If people don’t take out their trees and release them, legend says that the greenery won’t grow back in spring – leading to farming problems and food shortages.
Many people now take their trees down early, to avoid encouraging bad luck.
But kids were traditionally told that, if you took your tree down before the eve of the Epiphany, the Three Wise Men wouldn’t be able to find their way – because of the Star of Bethlehem, i.e. our fairy lights, guided them to Jesus.
Another superstition is that you should take your Christmas tree down before the bell tolls for midnight on New Year’s Eve.
If you don’t meet this deadline, you’re said to be dragging your baggage into the new year.
