Heating Efficiently

26/05/22

Our heating systems enable us to keep warm at home, but in the context of volatile energy prices, the cost of heating is becoming quite a challenge, especially as the central heating system is likely to create the greatest expenditure in terms of household bills.

So how can we achieve lower energy bills by cutting energy use?

One way is to make sure that you are using heating controls efficiently - or even consider replacing them with more efficient modern ones. Obviously, timers can control when the heating is on and off, programmers enable variable temperatures and times throughout the week, thermostats can control the use of the boiler and thermostatic radiator valves enable temperature adjustment of individual radiators. Smart thermostat heating systems even enable users to control the heating remotely by using an app.

Radiators running efficiently means less wasted heat. Radiators that take a while to heat up or cold spots at the bottom indicate that sludge may have settled there and the more there is, the less efficiently the radiator will run. Bleeding the radiators can indicate how clean the water is and whether you may want to have the system flushed.

As well as a clean water system running through them radiators should be balanced. This means that despite the chosen thermostat setting, the temperature may still not be balanced throughout the house. If upstairs is warmer than downstairs where you are and you increase the temperature there, in an unbalanced system, upstairs may be a few degrees warmer - costing money.

Whilst having a room thermostat on the correct setting is easy to manage, remember the boiler setting too. It may be set to a higher temperature than necessary which wastes energy in turn, so don’t set it too high. Condensing boilers should be properly balanced at the optimum temperatures to work efficiently so it may be worth checking.

By using the boiler programmer, heating impact can be timed accurately and therefore efficiently, over 24 hours, throughout the week and even with variable temperatures at different times of day. That way, you can customise your use for maximum benefit at minimum cost.

Smart thermostats continue to evolve, enabling users to control the programming remotely via a phone app. If you are unexpectedly not going to be in, you can avoid heating an empty house. Another tip is to make sure that the thermostat is not unnecessarily high. Reducing the temperature by even a degree can make an impact on the bill and save money.

Likewise, with thermostatic radiator valves, start the temperature low and gradually increase until you reach the preferred temperature. It may seem obvious, but don’t cover or block radiators with textiles or furniture.

Small changes can make a worthwhile difference.