
Save on your heating bills
Save on your heating bills
Reduce your home’s temperature
This seems painfully obvious, but the reality is that a simple reduction of your home’s temperature by just 1 degree Celsius can show a marked reduction in your yearly heating costs. If your home is sufficiently heated, try dropping the temperature by a small margin and see if you can feel the difference – you may not even know it’s been changed!
The approach to adjusting and fine-tuning your home’s warmth will depend on your installed heating system, with many homes using an ‘on/off’ thermostat that turns the boiler on and off to ensure a target temperature is maintained, though the easiest and most effective approach is through a modulating thermostat.
Upgrade to a modulating thermostat
Upgrading from an on/off thermostat to a modulating thermostat is a quick and easy way to make your home more comfortable and lower your heating bills as it accurately measures the temperature of your home and will actively control the boiler to meet the desired level of warmth.
On/off thermostat
The thermostat turns the boiler on to its maximum capacity until the target temperature is reached, then the boiler turns off
It only turns back on again once the house drops below the target temperature. This is inefficient and means your house often fluctuates either side of the target temperature
Modulating thermostat
A modulating thermostat doesn’t turn the boiler off when it’s getting near its temperature, but rather turns it down gradually, so your home stays at the right temperature for longer
It also prevents sudden starts and stops of the boiler, meaning it lasts longer and saves you money on your fuel bill
Additional controls
In addition to a modulating thermostat, you can also consider setting timers that control when your heating system is active. If your home is regularly vacant due to school and work or social commitments, by keeping your boiler inactive during these lengthy periods you can save a great deal of money long-term.
In addition, think about your typical sleeping habits and set your heating to switch off until an hour before you need to be awake – save more on your heating and still wake up to a toasty home!
Keep radiators clear of obstructions
Many radiators are poorly located within the home, such as beneath windows that allow heat to leak out whilst curtains trap heat, or centrally-located on your walls where furniture needs to be located. Unfortunately, by placing furniture directly in front of your radiators, you will lose a great deal of effective heating power as it’s blocked and absorbed by the various pieces of furniture.
Consider a change of interior design to allow your radiators open access to rooms to maximise heating performance.
Review your home insulation
The way in which your home is insulated will have a huge impact on how well the energy spent heating your home is retained. The poorer your home’s insulation, the quicker the heat will be lost and your boiler will be forced to actively heat in order to maintain a desired temperature.
Home insulation can account for anything from your attic and floor insulation, all the way to your windows and whether they are double or triple-glazed. If your home insulation isn’t sufficient, you’ll be losing money every single year, so it pays to upgrade and ensure it’s as well insulated as possible.
Per-room heating
Although not as common in the majority of homes, one of the absolute best methods of reducing your home’s energy bills is through per-room heating control. By ensuring only the rooms you most often frequent are being heated, you aren’t wasting excess energy warming rooms you won’t be spending any time in.