There are many top tips for saving money on your heating bills and we have already seen in our previous articles how using gas, rather than electricity and ensuring our homes are fully insulated can help towards cutting our bills. But what if we don’t want to (or aren’t able to) make the ‘big’ change to solar power, invest in ‘smart thermostats,’ or walk around in a padded onesie with big slippers to save money? What if there were a few simple, everyday solutions to easing the financial strain on the winter fuel bills? Well guess what? there are!
18 is the magic number
According to the ‘stats,’ it’s not lucky 7, in fact, 18 is the magic number! Most households set the thermostat at 20C and wander around in shorts and a t-shirt. Just by dropping the temperature 2 degrees you could save up to 20% on your heating bill. With the thermostat at 18C, most people should be warm enough in jeans and a jumper, but if that feels uncomfortable (older people may find this too cold) try reducing it in stages. Remember the golden rule – for every degree you reduce the temperature, you save 10% on your heating bill. That’s magic!
Step away from the radiator
Have you ever felt the back of a sofa that’s pushed up against the radiator – warm isn’t it? By clearing the area around the radiators you will allow the hot air to flow freely around the room, thus maximising the dispersion of heat. The same principle works for curtains. Do you have curtains that hang down over the radiator, guiding the precious warm air to the window, and outside? This is crazy – cut those drapes to ensure the warm air is directed into the room where it’s most needed. Check your bathroom, make sure you aren’t hanging towels on your bathroom radiators, since this will stop the warm air from circulating around the bathroom.
Hunt out hidden draughts
We are fully aware of the benefits of double glazing the windows and insulating your loft to keep your home snug and warm – but what about gaps you can’t see? There are many places where gaps occur, which can cause heat to seep out into uninhabited rooms and outside:-
- Doors, keyholes and letterboxes
- Electrical fittings on walls and ceilings
- Suspended floorboards
- The pipework leading to outside (think behind washing machines, sinks and toilet)
- Ceilings and wall joints
These spaces can be difficult to reach, but as they are ‘out of sight’, they can easily be filled up with anything; newspaper, old material or carrier bags will do the trick.
So however you draught proof your home, acclimatise yourself to live in a lower temperature and use feng shui to place your furniture further away from the radiators. Additionally, it’s worth remembering that none of these tips will mean anything if your heating system isn’t working to its optimum capacity!
Use our call back service now for your boiler servicing and repairs – it’s better to be safe than sorry.
