» Practical short term measures to help conserve fuel
There are things that you can do right away to help you conserve fuel and lower your heating costs. These include:
- Turning your thermostat down by just 1°C helps to conserve fuel, and can cut your heating bills by up to 10%.
- Making sure that your boiler controls are at their optimum settings so that your heating is set to come on only when you require it.
- Focusing heat where you need it most - many modern radiators have thermostatic valves fitted, which enable you to control the heat levels in individual rooms. Don’t waste fuel heating rooms that go mostly unused – use higher settings in the rooms you use the most, medium settings in bedrooms and lower settings in halls and landings, which are used least.
- Draught-proofing - To maximise the benefit of your heating, take steps to exclude draughts. Close curtains to prevent heat escaping out of windows; use seals or brushes on exterior doors, seal window edges, cover letter boxes and use rugs or even newspaper to block draughts through the floorboards. However, be careful to never block air vents.
- Wearing warm clothing - Rather than turning the heating up. Several thin layers are better than one or two thick ones, as the layers help trap warm air close to your body. In very cold temperatures, consider wearing a hat as up to 55% of your body’s heat can be lost through your head.
- Turning your own internal thermostat up! - Practical measures such as filling a hot water bottle, drinking hot drinks, eating hot food and taking moderate exercise will all help to keep you warm, reducing the temptation to crank up the heating.
» In the longer term
You can greatly increase the energy efficiency of your home and lower your heating costs by taking the following steps:
- Installing a condensing boiler - If your boiler is over ten years old then it is probably not as efficient as it should be, and this can cost both you and the planet. Condensing boilers can save you a considerable amount on your heating bills as well as significantly cutting your carbon emissions.
- Installing insulation - Both loft and cavity wall insulation can make a significant difference to the energy efficiency of your home, and when combined, could save you up to £210 a year. In addition, you can directly insulate your hot water tank – this is cheap, easy to do and can also help reduce your heating bills.
- Using energy efficient light-bulbs - These are a wise choice, lasting up to ten years and using only a fifth of the electricity used by ordinary bulbs.
- Investing in double-glazing - Though not a cheap option, this will reduce heat loss through windows by up to 50%, saving on both fuel and bills.
- Installing carpet underlay - Heat can be lost through the ground floors which are not always of solid construction. Installing carpet underlay will help reduce draughts and conserve fuel.
- Getting your appliances serviced - This will increase both the safety and effectiveness of your appliances, keeping them running at optimum efficiency.
