It’s hard to think about winter and putting on the central heating right now but before we know it the dark nights will get earlier and we will be approaching the end of summer. As boilers across the country begin to fire up it’s not just the temperatures of our homes rising – it’s the bills too! If you want to avoid a steep bill I’ve put together some savvy ways to save money on your heating bill this winter.
Shop Around
Nobody wants to pay more for something than they have to so make sure that you are on the best energy deal possible. Of course, providers won’t automatically put you on their cheapest rates and there are always better deals to be had so It’s worth speaking to your current provider to see if they can switch you to a better deal. It may also be worth considering changing energy providers altogether if it gives you an overall saving. Most energy companies can help you change over without any stress or cost.
Layer Up
It might sound obvious but when the temperature initially drops the first thing we do is reach for that thermostat when in reality it probably isn’t even that cold. Once you have put the heating on it’s much harder to turn it back off so try to keep it off as long as you can. If you start to feel the temperature change try putting on an extra layer before turning up the heating.
Service Your Boiler
Servicing your boiler and getting someone in to give it an M.O.T of sorts can make sure that it is running as efficiently as possible. An inefficient boiler will have to work harder thus costing you more to run. For most of the Summer, the boiler will have only been used for light work so you want to make sure it’s up to the job before winter arrives.
It’s also worth bleeding your radiators to make sure they are running at their peak. Radiators that need bleeding often have cold patches and won’t pump out as much heat due to air bubbles. This means that to achieve the desired temperature you have to turn the thermostat up higher which of course costs more money. Bleeding the radiators can help solve this issue and make them run more efficiently.
Fit Thermostatic Valves
If you don’t already have them fitting thermostatic valves to your radiators allows you to control the temperature for each individual radiator in each room. If you aren’t using a room this gives you the freedom to turn the radiator off or down so that the energy isn’t being wasted heating the whole house unnecessarily.
Stop the Draft
Keeping internal doors closed can help a room heat up quickly and more efficiently. Using a draft stopper can help prevent heat from escaping from a room and stops a cold draft coming in. By keeping the heat contained this helps maintain the temperature and prevent wasted energy which prevents wasted cost!