Worried pet owners can waste up to £140 a year by keeping lights, radio, TV or heating on when they leave the house, according the Energy Savings Trust (EST).

Animal experts warn this could actually do more harm than good. According to Rosie Barclay, chairwoman of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors “Even something like leaving the television on when you go out can actually trigger separation anxiety and stress for your pet.” Pets are clever and begin to associate switching on the TV or radio as a precursor to you leaving them.

Pets have different needs when it comes to staying warm and comfortable, but a lot of pet owners humanise their pets, thinking they enjoy the same things we do. “Dogs and cats by and large are designed for the outdoors and don’t necessarily need the heating left on for them,” said Ms. Barclay.

Prior to doing this research, I would leave the TV on for my dog when leaving the house. She tends to be a fan of NCIS re-runs and also the history channel.

Most experts agree it is better to leave a toy or treats out as opposed to leaving the heating or appliances on. Some even recommend leaving a t-shirt that you have worn, as your smell will likely give them far more comfort.

Philip Sellwood, chief executive at Energy Saving Trust, said: “We do understand Brits love their pets so we’re not about to start asking people to switch things off. We just want to make sure that everyone is aware of the facts so they can heat their home comfortably and affordably.”

With a cold winter a head of us, be sure to take into account the needs of your pet, but also be wary of spending unnecessary money.

¹ Express. The mistake that costs Britons £140 a year in wasted energy Accessed online 30 November http://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/619739/UK-pet-owners-waste-140-year-keep-lights-heating-cats-dogs-energy-bills

Christmas is getting off to an early start in Battersea on Tuesday 1 December with Carols in the Square, organised by Friends of Battersea Square and sponsored by estate agents John D Wood and Co. The Master of Ceremonies will be Ben Thomas, headmaster of Thomas’s Battersea. The festivities are kicking off at 6:30pm.

Professional brass quintet Mardi Bras will provide seasonal musical entertainment from the soundstage near the trees before accompanying the singing of carols and other festive songs. To help things along they are hoping to be joined by the choir of St Mary’s Church, Battersea, Thomas’s Choral Society and singers from local primary schools and Thomas’s Battersea as well as a community choir. Keeping them all in time will be John Haythornthwaite, Director of Music at Thomas’s.

There will be plenty of refreshments on offer from Sambrooks beer, mulled wine, mince pies, hot chocolate, soup and a stall selling delicious cakes and Christmas decorations.

The Mayor of Wandsworth, Nicola Nardelli, will be joined by the three member comedy group Sleeping Trees and the members of the Battersea Arts Centre Beatbox choir to help with switching on the tree’s lights at 7pm. This will be followed by ‘snow’ and other festive surprises and more carols before the event finishes around 7:30pm.

Carols in the Square is always free to all but they do organise a collection on the night, the proceeds of which are shared between two very important local charities.

¹ Countdown to Christmas Accessed online 27 November 2015 http://www.batterseasquare.org.uk

Staying warm when out and about can be difficult. But here are 5 tips for staying warm this blistering cold winter.

1. Stay dry
“Don’t get cold in the first place.” That is the obvious answer, but cold weather can sneak up on you, especially if you are running through the rain to catch a bus or sweating in that big warm coat. Layering is key. Base layers of form fitting undershirts help to pull moisture away from the skin and can be worn under normal work clothes with minimal discomfort. Try not to let cotton touch your skin as it can absorb sweat.

2. Protect your core
Layering clothing is an easy way to make sure your whole body stays warm. With the average human core temperature 37ºC, hypothermia occurs when the body drops below 35ºC keeping your torso insulated is best thing you can do to keep the rest of your body warm. And putting on a little winter weight can help keep you insulated and your core temperature stabilized.

3. The “winter hat” might be a myth
The assumptions that 70% of a person’s body heat escapes through their head is false. Body-heat loss relates to how much skin is exposed, not which part of the body you’re exposing. But the key to staying warm is keeping as much skin covered as possible, so if the weather is getting colder, wearing a hat can help along with a nice coat and a scarf.

4. Mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves
Protecting your core should be your number one priority. But keeping your fingers together rather than isolated makes a big difference. With technology today, mittens will make it almost impossible to text or respond to emails, but the more of your skin that is covered, the warmer you will be. So holding off on responding can keep you warm.

5. Drink water
No matter what you are doing in life hydration is always a big factor. But did you know that water is amazing at retaining body heat? Simply put, the more you have in your system, the easier it is to stay warm. So stay hydrated, especially before dashing out into the frozen slush every morning.

With the forecast of temperatures below zero this weekend, if you haven’t prepared your home for winter, now is the time. Here are a few tips to help keep you warm now that winter is here.

Doors

Draughty external doors are responsible for up to 15% of heat loss in the home. Draught-proofing these is a cheap and easy way to help prevent this heat loss, whilst hanging thick curtains over the door will also help to trap heat inside.

Curtains

Close all curtains and window/door coverings as soon as temperatures drop when it gets dark to prevent heat escaping through windows and doors.

Thermostat

Lowering your thermostat by just 1 degree could save you money, although please ensure that the recommended minimum of 21 degrees in living rooms and 18 degrees in bedrooms is maintained.

Radiators

Ensure that you regularly bleed your radiators to remove trapped air from your heating system; this will improve heating efficiency and enable better heating of rooms.

Now that winter is here, we hope these few tips help. If your heating system needs servicing and you are in Southwest London, call 020 7350 2511 and one of engineers can come out to make sure you stay warm this chilly winter.

¹ Calor Preparing for winter Accessed online 20 November 2015 http://www.calor.co.uk/preparing-for-winter

You probably use one everyday, but the next time nature calls; here are 10 random facts about toilets….

1. Britain’s first flushing toilet was invented by Queen Elizabeth’s godson, writer, Sir John Harrington.
2. Toilet brushes were manufactured using the same machinery as artificial Christmas trees.
3. Supposedly, a toilet was found in a Chinese tomb dating back to 206 BC.
4. Early toilets have been found in Scotland, dating back to 3,000 BC.
5. In the 1880’s Prince Edward hired Thomas Crapper to build bathrooms in the royal places.
6. Discovery channel’s Mythbusters found that the toilet seat is one of the cleanest parts of the bathroom.
7. In 1950 many German homes did not have their own toilets.
8. The Energy Policy Act of 1994 requires flush toilets to use 1.6 gallons of water.
9. For many years American’s would cross the border to Canada to buy high-flow toilets.
10. The White House has 35 bathrooms, which means the first family has a lot of choices.

The first of two traffic-free Christmas markets will be taking place on North End Road 28 November. As well as the ever-popular fruit and vegetable stalls selling value produce, there will be over 100 new stalls offering everything from festive treats, handmade decorations and crafts, food stalls, cakes and much more.

The market is a part of Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s drive, together with the North End Action Group, to revive the major high street.

Switching on this year’s North End Road Christmas lights will be fashion designer and Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson. The 28 November Christmas market will also feature live music, and children’s fun fare, carol singers, and unusual entertainment, including stilt walkers Glitter Belles, and balloon modeling elves.

Cllr Andrew Jones, head of economic development and regeneration in the borough, said: “Resident told us how much they enjoyed the range of stalls and the atmosphere at our previous traffic-free markets in North End Road, so we’re doing it twice for Christmas. There will no buses, lorries or cars, just fantastic stalls with loads of Christmas presents, lots to eat and festive entertainment”.

“These markets are a great opportunity for people who want to put a toe in the water as a stall trader. In the summer, two in five of the stall holders were first-timers and a number have gone on to run a stall full time.”

To apply to run a stall call 020 7835 5695 or email nicki.burgess@lbhf.gov.uk

From black cats, spilling salt, breaking mirrors and walking under ladders, the superstitions of Friday the 13^th are a bit of a cultural phenomenon. But why do so many people consider Friday the 13^th so unlucky?

Some believe the crucifixion was held on Friday the 13^th, with others tracing its origin back to Friday October 13 1307 when then King of France Phillip IV had hundreds of Templars in France simultaneously arrested and later tortured into admitting heresy in the Order.

It is also possible that the publication in 1907 of Thomas W. Lawson’s popular novel Friday, the Thirteenth played a part in disseminating the superstition. In the novel, an unscrupulous stockbroker takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on a Friday the 13th.

For hundreds of years different cultures and religions have found events to show how unlucky the number 13 is and paired with the unluckiest day of the week Friday, it has become a day so scary science named it paraskevidekatriaphobia.

For some, Friday the 13^th is a day of horror. Quoting Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, “It’s been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do.”

So be on the look out for black cats crossing your path. Be careful carrying that mirror. Do not knock the salt over. And don’t walk under that ladder (in reality you should never do this, it is just unsafe for you and for anyone working on the ladder). Or go about your day as you normally would and don’t buy into the superstitions, either way for most of us, Friday means the work week is done and we can relax a bit over the weekend and I can’t find anything unlucky about that.

Most of the warmth in your home during the winter months comes from radiators. But if one of them is not working properly, there are a few common issues to look for.

Sludge build up can cause parts of your radiator to not receive warm water thus causing cold spots. But knowing how much sludge or how bad the problem is can be tricky. An infrared camera can be used to map out the cold areas and get a better idea of the sludge problem. Fixing the problem is done by having a professional come in and power flush your radiators, cleaning out the sludge and creating a more even water flow throughout your radiator.

Trapped air can be a nuisance, but with the right tool and a bit of patience (depending on your heating system), it can be as easy as simply bleeding your radiator to allow the air out. First and foremost, if in doubt, call a professional, turning the key too far can cause flooding. Simply turn the key, allow the water flow to push out excess air and close the valve.

A faulty radiator can be a bit more of a challenge, as replacing the radiator in some cases is the only option. First make sure a heating engineer checks all valves for leakage. If there is a normal water flow into your radiator, but you are still not getting warmth throughout the radiator, there may be issues internally that would need to be addressed.

The below video shows how the water should flow through your radiator to create an even heat:

If you are having any radiator problems, call in a professional. If you are in Southwest London call 020 7350 2511 and one of our heating engineers can come out diagnose the issue and make sure you are warm this winter.

When you’re thinking of what you want to spend your hard earned money on, I doubt a new boiler is at the top of that list. Choosing the right boiler and gas engineer to install it can be the difference between a nice experience and a nightmare. Here are 5 tips for choosing a boiler.

1. Ask friends and family. Understanding the experience your friends and family have had will give you a better insight of what to expect.
2. Do research online. Sites like Which.co.uk can help you discover what the highest rated boilers are, their efficiency, warranties or guarantees and how user-friendly they are.
3. Check review sites. When looking for the right gas engineer, Checkatrade.com, trustedtraders.which.co.uk, mybuilder.com and Google+ can give you a good idea of the experience other customers have had. Also check out Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter to see how the companies interact with the public online.
4. Get multiple quotes. This is a large purchase and an important one for the health and safety of you and your family. A face-to-face meeting with a surveyor can help you get a better feel for a specific company and how they work.
5. ASK QUESTIONS!!! Most of us have no idea what the process is, how long it will take and what to expect. The best way to feel more comfortable is to make sure all questions you may have are answered in the most concise way.

We know there are literally hundreds of things you would rather be spending money on, but hopefully with these tips the experience of purchasing a new boiler will be a bit easier. If you are in South West London and in need of a new boiler, call 020 7350 2511 to get a quote. And be sure to ask about our boiler-servicing plan to help you spread out the cost of a new boiler.

The Fuller’s Head of the River Fours, which takes place over the world famous 4 ¼ mile Championship course from Mortlake to Putney, returns to the River Thames in West London for the 61st time on Saturday 7 November starting at 12.45pm.

This event was first run in 1955, when 34 crews rowed over a 3-mile course from Chiswick Steps to Putney Pier. This year 420 boats are expected to take part, making it one of the largest rowing events in the world.

You can watch the race along the entire course for free, the action should last a few hours and there are a lot of great viewing points in which to watch from. There will be stalls selling refreshments and rowing related merchandise outside many of the Tideway clubs. Be sure to be on the look out for stalls along Putney Embankment and near Hammersmith Bridge.

Depending on the weather, fitness and skill, it can take crews anywhere from 17 to 30 minutes to complete the course. The hopes are the weather will not play a major factor in the event as treacherous conditions caused a last minute cancellation in 2009.

To keep up to date with any potential race time changes due to weather, be sure to follow The Fours’ Head on Twitter. And for more details about the history of the race and a full start order check out www.hor4s.org.uk