Latest Articles - mastsystems.co.uk

Man adjusting a smart thermostat on a wall in a sunny living room with a child playing in the background.

Save on Heating Costs: The Best Times to Heat Your Home

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

Energy prices remain high, winter puts pressure on electricity grids – yet radiators in many homes are turned up precisely...

Person adding soil to a raised garden bed with flowers and gardening supplies on a balcony.

Natural Alternatives to Artificial Fertiliser for Your Garden

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

Fortunately, there are powerful natural alternatives. Many amateur gardeners automatically pick up the same bag of fertiliser from the garden...

Man tending a burning wood stove in a cosy room with stacked firewood and snowy windows.

Clean Chimney, More Heat: Get More From Your Wood-Burning Stove

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

For anyone heating with a fireplace or wood-burning stove, the first thoughts usually turn to quality firewood or the best...

Hand placing firewood in a lit wood-burning stove next to a pile of logs and a digital thermometer reading 98.

Wood Briquettes: More Heat from Less Material

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

More and more households are questioning their reliance on traditional firewood and choosing a product that was long dismissed: highly...

Young man checking a radiator with a digital thermometer resting on the windowsill beside him.

The 2-Minute Heating Test That Reveals Radiator Efficiency

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

High heating bills, yet rooms still feel merely lukewarm? Many systems push heat around the home diligently without properly releasing...

Man eating a doughnut next to a wood-burning stove with spilled pellets and a box of doughnuts nearby.

Polish YouTuber heats with 10 kilograms of discount Berlin doughnuts instead of wood pellets

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

A Polish YouTuber set out to find whether discounted bakery goods could heat a home more cheaply than wood pellets....

Person rolling out a fluffy beige rug in a sunlit living room with autumn leaves visible outside.

How Flipping Rugs Before Winter Can Reduce Heat Loss

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

Millions of households across Europe and North America are losing warmth through their floors while energy prices remain persistently high....

Person cleaning the glass door of a lit wood-burning stove with a cloth in a cozy kitchen.

Clean wood-burning stove glass with vinegar and bicarbonate of soda

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

With a simple household remedy trick, it can be made crystal clear again in moments. Many stove owners instinctively use...

Person adjusting a smart thermostat to 20°C in a cosy living room with a steaming mug on the table.

19 °C or 20 °C: The Best Temperature for Heating Your Home

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

For years, one almost magical number has shaped how homes are heated: 19 °C. Yet the reality indoors is far...

Man kneeling by a lit wood-burning stove, warming his hand with firewood stacked nearby indoors.

Clean chimney: get almost double the heat from your wood-burning stove

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

If you heat your home with a fireplace or wood-burning stove, you will recognise the problem: the fire is blazing,...

Woman relaxing on a sofa feeling cool air from a wall-mounted air conditioner in a bright living room.

Xiaomi Mijia Air Conditioner Eco models from 2.6 to 7.0 kW added to global website

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

Xiaomi has added four new Mijia Air Conditioner Eco models to its global website, signalling that they may soon go...

Person adjusting a digital thermostat on a wall in a modern living room with an open book on a wooden table.

Heating costs: the two ideal time windows for lower consumption

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

When freezing conditions persist outdoors, heating can seem to run around the clock in many homes – and electricity bills...

Person measuring a large stack of split firewood outside a house with tools on a wooden crate nearby.

How Many Stacked Cubic Metres of Wood for an 80 to 120 m² House?

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

If you are getting ready for winter and intend to heat with a wood-burning stove or range, one practical question...

Man standing at a petrol station beside his car, holding a fuel pump and raising his arm in front of the price display.

Portugal’s automatic fuel-price tax safety net

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

While many drivers across Europe can only stare in disbelief at fuel-station price boards, one government has pulled the emergency...

Man inspecting a white air purifier indoors with a technician and floor plans in the background.

Why Closing Vents Costs More Is an HVAC Myth

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

The HVAC technician looked from the living-room vent to the homeowner and gave a small laugh. “Yeah, you really don’t...

Hand wiping a black stovetop with a cloth next to lemons and a bowl on a kitchen counter.

Clean Your Hob With Lemon and Bicarbonate of Soda Instead of Power Cleaners

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

Many people instinctively reach for harsh sprays and expensive “power cleaners” when faced with burnt-on residue. Yet an everyday food...

Person kneeling by a wood-burning stove, shining a flashlight inside with cleaning brushes nearby.

Pellet Stove Spring Service: Why Maintenance Matters

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

When the sun grew stronger in May, I simply switched off my pellet stove – as I do every year....

Hands sprinkling water on lettuce growing in a raised garden bed decorated with wine corks outdoors

Bottle Leftovers in the Vegetable Garden: Save Water and Keep Slugs Away

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

Anyone who spends summer racing around the garden with a watering can, only to harvest limp tomatoes and nibbled lettuce...

Man adjusting a smart thermostat on the wall in a warmly lit living room at sunset.

Should You Turn Heating Off When You Leave Home?

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

That quick adjustment can seem sensible: you head out, turn down the heating and stop the boiler spending money on...

Person arranging small wooden boxes on a tidy kitchen countertop with a saw nearby and natural light.

14 Wood Offcut Ideas to Clear Every Worktop

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

Many people will recognise the problem: worktop space keeps shrinking even when the home itself is not particularly small. Oil...

Woman and child playing blocks on a wooden floor near a large window with solar panels outside.

Heating with Solar Electricity: Underfloor Heating Without Conventional Radiators

Gareth Whitcombe • September 22, 2026

People living through recent winters in Central Europe will recognise the issue: homes cool down noticeably, conventional radiators run at...