Cheap fixes for doors, windows and unused chimneys that stop draughts and save heating oil. DIY vs fitted, with rough savings for Irish homes.
By MyOil Editor ·
If your oil-heated home feels chilly even when the boiler's been running, draughts are usually the culprit. Cold air sneaks in around doors, windows and unused chimneys, your boiler works harder to keep up, and you burn more oil for the same warmth. Draught-proofing is the cheapest, highest-return job most Irish homeowners can do, and a lot of it is genuine DIY.
The Energy Saving Trust puts the saving from draught-proofing a typical home at a meaningful slice off your heating bill each year, and SEAI lists it among the lowest-cost first steps before bigger upgrades. In oil terms, that can be the difference of part of a fill over a heating season. It won't transform a leaky old cottage on its own, but euro for euro it's hard to beat.
An open, unused chimney is like leaving a window open all winter. Warm air you've paid to heat goes straight up and out. A chimney draught excluder (an inflatable "balloon" or a fitted wool/foam cap) seals the flue and is one of the best-value buys going, often a small spend for a noticeable drop in that cold downdraught.
Two rules: only seal a chimney that's genuinely out of use, and leave the balloon's tag hanging down as a reminder so nobody lights a fire under it. If the fireplace is ever used, take it out first.
Self-adhesive foam or wiper-blade style strips around opening sashes cut the whistle around old timber and uPVC frames. For draughty older windows, removable silicone gap filler or heavy lined curtains add another layer for very little money.
Most of the list above is comfortable DIY with a tape measure, a knife and an afternoon. Foam strips, brush seals, letterbox flaps and chimney balloons all come with instructions and cost very little.
Get a professional for trickier jobs: draught-proofing sash windows properly, sealing around suspended timber floors, or anything involving the boiler flue or vents. And one important caution: never block permanent air vents that serve an oil boiler, stove or any combustion appliance. Those vents are there for safe combustion. Seal the draughts you can see, leave the purpose-built ventilation alone, and if you're unsure which is which, ask an OFTEC-registered technician.
Think of draught-proofing as trimming waste rather than slashing your bill in half. Combined with a couple of other cheap moves, the effect adds up:
None of these are a substitute for the draught-proofing itself, but together they mean less oil for the same comfort. For a closer look at the gadget side, browse our gadget guides.
Do the first three on a free weekend and you'll feel the difference before the next cold snap.
The other half of using less oil is never paying for a panicked emergency fill or a boiler lockout after a run-out. Keep an eye on your tank so you can see when you'll run out, set a price-drop alert so you're ready when prices ease, and compare local prices by county before you order. Seal the leaks, then buy on your own terms.
Set a price-drop alert and we'll email you when oil gets cheaper in your county.
Set a price-drop alert →Pop in your tank and last fill, and we'll estimate how many days you've got left.
See when you'll run out →Lag the hot pipes between your oil boiler and cylinder so the heat reaches your taps, not the hot press. Cost per metre, what to buy, and how to do it.
Read →An honest look at radiator foil for Irish homes: where it saves, where it won't, and how much you'd really notice on your oil bill.
Read →Before you spend thousands on a new boiler, see why upgrading your heating controls often saves more oil per euro, and how the SEAI grant helps.
Read →Tell us your county and we'll watch the price by the fill, not the cent. Add your tank and we'll tell you when you'll run out, and nudge you in good time to order.