The rocketing price of gas has left many concerned about the cost of heating their homes this winter. Average annual energy bills look set to increase again in April, by around £421, when the price cap will be reviewed by energy regulator Ofgem.
This follows an increase of 12% in October. With temperatures falling, many of us have already turned out heating on, but the unprecedented prices are a real worry for millions.
Although it’s a hugely uncertain time, there are some energy-saving tips for the home that can all contribute to keeping bills down – including investing in £3 draught-excluding tape.
It goes without saying that if you spend a little more money on higher quality tape, you’re likely to get better results. However, this budget option from Amazon, at £3.15, has a 4-star rating and could reduce your bills over time.
Sticking a strip to the edges of your door frame where the door touches the frame will create a seal, keeping the room warmer when the door is closed. Draught excluder tape can also help to block out cold air from gaps around windows and chimneys.
Image credit: The Radiator Company
When applying the strips, make sure you don’t stretch the self-adhesive foam, as this might prevent them from working efficiently. This budget-friendly method, along with tasks like bleeding radiators and turning off radiators in empty rooms, will all make a difference.
Although economic forecasters predict an energy bills increase of 33% in April, the cap will stop prices rising further through the colder months.
Last night, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng tweeted: ‘Protecting consumers from rising global gas prices is my top priority. The Energy Price Cap is holding back a wave of instant bill increases. It will remain in place, and at the same level, this winter.’
Image credit: David Parmiter
Last month, a series energy companies collapsed due to the rising cost of wholesale gas, leaving Brits wondering what to do if your energy supplier goes bust. There are still warnings that millions will be unable to heat their homes this winter.
As around 40% of electricity in the UK is generated by gas, the energy bills increase affects the price of electricity to rise too – making energy-saving measures more important than ever.
Love Halloween? Us, too. It’s becoming bigger every year, when it comes to celebrations, dressing up and decorating our homes. Whether you’re hosting a party or simply decorating to welcome trick-or-treaters these fiendishly good Halloween decorating ideas will help you do it in style.
From seasonal wreaths and autumnal tablescape ideas for a subtle nod to decorating, to making spooky balloon arches and painting pumpkins for an on-trend scene for Instagram – we have it all.
Take a look at these great Halloween decorating ideas to get into the spooky spirit…
Halloween decorating ideas to delight
1. Create a balloon arch
Image credit: Ginger Ray/Very
Make your Halloween party go with a bang (although not literally we hope) by creating a spooky balloon arch. Arrange a combination of black, white and silver balloons above a table laden with treats. Use a black marker to draw ghostly faces on the white balloons. Cut bats, spiders and webs from black paper and arrange among your display.
Want to learn more about making a DIY balloon arch? We show you how to create a balloon arch in simple easy steps.
2. Display an autumnal wreath
Image credit: Hobbycraft
Celebrate the season by adorning your door with a sophisticated autumnal wreath. Dress a grapevine wreath blank with leaves, berries and pinecones in warming red and orange tones. Attach mini velvet pumpkins for softness.
Use florist’s wire or a glue gun to make sure components are securely attached. If you’re worried about exposing your wreath to the elements, display inside on an internal door or as part of a table arrangement.
3. Make a spooky picture gallery
Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Whitmore
Make your own Halloween silhouette framed pictures. Cut creepy images and phrases from black paper and mount on a white background. If drawing out your shapes before cutting, don’t forget to draw them back-to-front on the reverse of the paper. Pop your pictures in black frames and display on the wall or on a mantelpiece.
4. Welcome Trick or Treaters
Image credit: Hobbycraft/Cricut
Welcome visitors with a cute custom Halloween doormat. You can make your own using a Cricut cutting machine and vinyl to create a stencil. Secure in place with masking tape and use black acrylic paint and a stencil brush to fill in your design. Leave to dry for 24 hours, then seal with spray varnish. View the full how-to at Hobbycraft.
5. Shine terrifying tea lights
Image credit: Future PLC
If you can’t handle the mess of carving pumpkins, try placing flickering tea light candles in empty clip-top jars. Give them a Halloween twist by using PVA to glue orange tissue paper on the inside of the jars. Add creepy shapes like bats and spiders in black paper to create spooky silhouettes.
Place anywhere around the house, inside or out, to encourage a little All Hallow’s Eve atmosphere. If you have children or pets, consider using LED candles to avoid accidents.
6. Style an autumnal tablescape
Image credit: Sophie Allport
Creating breathtaking tablescapes for all occasions is a massive trend, so why should Halloween be any different? Carve out pumpkins and gourds and fill with bouquets of dried flowers in autumnal shades. Mount on log slices to elevate and arrange on a table runner among candles.
Place mini gourds in mugs as part of place settings. Why not write your guests’ names in gold pen on each pumpkin for them to take home?
7. Hang bewitching bunting
Image credit: Future PLC
Who doesn’t love a bit of bunting? It’s easy to whip up and can come out year after year. Cut triangles from black and white card. Use half an apple and orange paint to print pumpkin shapes in the centre of each flag. Once dry, paint on stalks in green paint.
Cut eyes and a mouth from black paper and stick to the pumpkin faces. To hang your bunting, attach string or twine to the tops of the flags using craft tape.
8. Style a seasonal focal point
Image credit: Future PLC/ Tim Young
Pile a colourful clutch of pumpkins, squash and gourds into a table for understated style; against a white tablecloth, the burnt amber hues will shine. Fun decorations and tasty treats such as these sweet candies will keep trick-or-treaters happy.
9. Paint a pumpkin
Image credit: Future plc/ Graeme Ainscough
Not a fan of carving? Painted pumpkins are just as effective, especially when contrasted with worn wooden knick-knacks on a reclaimed dresser. Simply paint on your funny or scary face, then mix and match with different shapes and sizes of pumpkins for an attractive seasonal display.
Add a warm, autumnal touch with strings of berries along the top, intertwined with twinkling fairy lights.
10. Create creepy curb appeal
Image credit: Future PLC/ Brent Darby
This country cottage manages a friendly ‘haunted house’ feel with weathered outdoor furniture, blacked out windows and pumpkins aplenty. Fill woven planters with seasonal foliage and dress your door with an autumnal wreath fashioned from fallen leaves.
11. Light up the night
Image credit: Sainsbury’s Home
Carved Jack-O’-Lantern pumpkins are a Halloween classic, but why not opt for glitter, or plastic designs that have safety lights? Display them at the front door or along the stairs for an atmospheric twist on the traditional doorstep decoration.
12. Make up your mantelpiece
Image credit: Future PLC/ David Giles
Give an uninteresting mantel a freakishly good update for Halloween by crafting your own scary decorations. White, black and orange are the perfect colours for Halloween decorating.
Make these adorable characters from leftover yarn. To make the pumpkins, use a pom pom maker to make an orange pom pom. Cut a pipecleaner into three pieces and bend one end of a piece around the middle, then curl the other end around a pencil to bend into shape. Tie fishing wire around the end to hang.
To make the ghost tassels, cut a 10x12cm piece of cardboard. Cut a small piece of wool and place it along the length of cardboard. Wind the rest of the wool around the width of the carboard 25 times and tie the short piece tightly around one end. Snip the yarn at one end to release the tassel. Tie another length of wool round the neck of the tassel and knot to secure, then hang with fishing wire. Add googly eyes if you wish!
13. Lay a spooky table
Nothing creates a creepy atmosphere quite like painted pumpkins, creepy candies and flickering candlelight, so display all of this on dinner table to create a spooktacular showcase to your ghoulish guests. A pumpkin centrepiece on a cake stand lends itself to the occasion beautifully.
What are you favourite Halloween decorating tips? We would love to hear them.
If the entries in our latest Time of the Season photography contest are anything to go by, it’s been quite the summer indeed. We received some absolutely stunning photos showcasing the essence of this wonderfully diverse season.
Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Storm’s Coming” by Jeff Harshaw. Location: Sierra Nevada mountains in California.
A summer storm coming over the Sierra Nevada mountains and into the mono basin,” describes Harshaw.
Want to get your images in the running for a Photo of the Day feature? Photo of the Day is chosen from various galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.
