Getting the best out of your heating should be every household’s new year resolution, according to the experts at UKRadiators.com
Rob Nezard, Managing Director of UKRadiators.com, said: “A warm home shouldn’t come at the cost of sky-high energy bills. Some small tweaks to your heating system will improve efficiency and save homeowner’s cash.”
Here Rob shares his top eight tips on how to make your heating system more efficient this winter:
1. Bleed your radiators
Not bleeding your radiators is one of the biggest causes of poor performance in heating due to the air build-up in the system when the heating is off.
Rob said: “Air in the radiators stops the water from filling them up which means they aren't using their full capacity. The room will often never reach the desired temperature, so your thermostat will never switch the boiler off.”
2. Rejig your furniture configuration
Don't put large bulky furniture in front of radiators - especially heat-absorbing ones like sofas.
Rob said: “You end up paying to heat the back of your sofa, not the room. An unobstructed radiator will always be better at heating a room than one with furniture in front of it.”
3. Heat the home only when necessary
Ensure you have your heating on an effective automatic timer system.
Rob said: “If you’re out for most of the day, make sure your home isn’t being heated until you’re back.”
4. Fix leaky radiators
Make sure your radiators and heating system are regularly maintained, checked and repaired if necessary.
Rob said: “If something is leaking or not working properly, it’s almost certainly going to be wasting your money on your energy bills.”
5. Keep curtains open during the day
Making the most out of sunlight can help you save on heating and lighting. Opening your blinds or curtains during the day will let you maximise the energy and warmth coming in from natural light.
6. Make the most out of your tariff
If you are on an Economy 7 or Economy 10 electricity tariff, you will get cheaper electricity at night than during the day. This means you could save money by only turning on some appliances, such as a washing machine, at night.
7. Keep warm air in
We spend money to heat our homes. When the air inside gets warm, it becomes lighter and wants to float away, just like a hot air balloon. And as that warm air escapes, it leaves an empty space behind. This empty space tries to suck in the cold air from outside.
Rob said: “Good insulation slows down how quickly the warm air escapes. We can't completely stop it from leaving, but we want to keep it inside for as long as possible since we've already paid to heat it up.
“Of course, every time you open a door, you let some of that warm air escape. That's why it's important to open and close doors quickly to minimise heat loss.”
8. Keep cold air out
Sounds obvious, but if you have cold air getting into your house, then it will cost more to keep it at the desired temperature. Invest in low-cost forms of insulation, such as draught excluders and window seals, to keep as much cold air out of the home as possible.
Rob said: “Insulation doesn’t have to be expensive. Repurposing old quilts and blankets in the loft to act as insulation will help keep some heat in.”
For further advice, head to ukradiators.com
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