Heating costs are rocketing, so saving on heating costs is important for families. Here are some tips to do so.
Does leaving central heating on at night save money?
There are some who believe that you can save money in the long term by leaving the central heating on a lower setting 24 hours a day.
But experts are saying that this is a myth.
This makes sense because you will end up spending more.
The boiler will keep firing up all night to maintain the set temperature and you won’t be benefitting much from that because you will be in bed wrapped up.
If you want to save money, the best thing to do is use the thermostat to set your heating to switch off 30 minutes before going to bed and turn it on a short time before you wake up in the morning.
Saving on electric heat
If your home has electric heating, there are steps you can take to save money during the winter.
Electric heating is becoming less and less popular, but not all properties will have access to a mains gas supply, and that means they have to rely on electric heating to keep themselves warm.
Electric heating is more expensive compared to gas central heating, but it is possible to keep your bills lower even when using electric heating.
What you should do is;
Replace the night storage heaters with modern electric radiators
This is because storage heaters don’t have control and can be expensive to run if heats run out during the day. Modern electric radiators are the better options because they have thermostatic control that allows you to use the heat when needed.
Program the electric radiator
Modern electric radiators let you set a heating schedule the same way you do gas central heating. This means you can run your heating economically when you are in and when you are out.
Choose the right size of electric radiator for each of the rooms
When you choose a small electric radiator for a room, it is going to increase your energy bill. You should get the right specification radiator in large rooms. This makes sure that the heaters don’t overwork to get the room to the desired temperature.
Saving on oil heating costs
About four million homes in the country are not connected to the main gas grid, and they usually use oil-based systems.
Oil central heating is not expensive when you compare it to electric heating, but it is costlier compared to gas central heating.
The cost of oil heating is going to be mainly determined by the price of oil.
If you want to save money on your oil heating;
Buy oil at the right time
There are many factors that affect the cost of heating oil, which make it a challenge to track. But one thing to know is it is cheaper to buy heating oil in the summer because the demand is not that high. This will allow you to get it at a good price.
Turning down your thermostat
You can save money by turning down your thermostat, even if it is just a degree. When you reduce it by a degree, you are not going to notice any difference in temperature.
Having your boiler serviced
You need to have a regular winter property maintenance program because it will help you get the best out of your system. Maintaining your oil heating boiler is a must. Try to have your boiler serviced once every 12 months according to here.
Grants to make your home more energy efficient
There are schemes that have been announced by the government that aims to improve the energy efficiency of properties in the country.
The Green Homes Grant is a government grant for homeowners and landlords that gives them vouchers to have work done on the property to improve energy efficiency
These vouchers can be worth up to five thousand pounds and will cover two-thirds of the cost of the work done. This amount can increase to ten thousand for lower-income households and can cover up to 100% of the costs.
The work being done is going to be split into primary and secondary measures. You first need to start with the primary measure before qualifying for the secondary measure which has the same voucher value.
- Primary measures include;
- An air-source heat pump
- Solid or cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, and floor insulation
- Solar thermal water heating
- A ground source heat pump
Secondary measures include;
- Energy-efficient doors, if you want to replace a door that was fitted before 2002
- Triple glazing, secondary glazing, and double glazing when you want to replace single glazing only
- Hot water tank insulation
- A hot water tank thermostat
- Smart heating controls
You can find out more about the scheme and whether you qualify for it. There are many grants out there, find ones you can qualify for.
Turning down the thermostat
You can save about £80 a year by turning down your thermostat by just one degree, and this is according to the Energy Saving Trust.
That one degree is going to make a huge difference in terms of money, but you are not going to notice any difference when you do it. The body can’t tell a one-degree difference.
Upgrading your boiler
If the boiler has aged and seen better days, then there is a good chance it is not working that efficiently.
Such a boiler can lead to a higher heating bill because the boiler is forced to work harder to bring the temperature to the level you want.
An ageing boiler is also going to waste some heat because hot gases can easily escape through the flue.
Most modern boilers are condensing boilers, which means they recover more heat and the cooler gases go through the flue, which ensures no warmth is lost.
If you want to replace your gas boiler, you can expect to spend £2,300. It is more expensive to keep using an old boiler.
It is estimated that an A-rated condensing boiler is going to save the average home £170 to £315 a year on heating bills. This means you will be able to make that money back after replacing your old boiler.
Draught proofing your home
If the home is chilly as a result of cold draughts from outside, you might be tempted to turn up your heating to compensate.
This is going to increase your energy bills. There is an easier way of solving this issue; sealing up areas of your home that draughts are coming in from.
This can include the letterbox, skirting boards, and cracks on the floors.
Make sure you seal any cracks and line the letterbox and if your windows aren’t double-glazed, then you should think about replacing them with more energy-efficient glass.
