A Quick Guide to Reducing Your Heating/Energy Bills
Updated: Jun 17
There are a lot of things we can all do to help reduce our energy bills, from major projects to quick simple adjustments.
One of the first things to consider is how well-insulated your home is. Adding loft insulation, secondary glazing (a variety of DIY and professional options are available) and draught excluders are all ways to help reduce the amount of heat lost through walls, doors, and windows. It may be worth checking if there are any government schemes available that might help part fund any insulation you may want or need to add.
Take some time to think about how your heating system is set up and running to see if you can make any adjustments to make it more energy efficient.
Thermostatic valves: get them fitted if you can, these can help reduce energy use by automatically turning radiators on or off based on the room’s temperature, rather than having them all on at the same time.
Turn down radiators in rooms not used as often, the spare, study etc.
Reduce all valves down by ½ - 1 turn, a simple reduction will help reduce energy usage.
Turning the main thermostat down, and reducing it by 1 degree can have a big impact on efficiency and usage.
Reduce the flow temperature on your boiler as the weather warms up, adjusting the temperature down from 70/80 degrees to 55/60 can have a big impact on how much energy is used.
Use a timed thermostat to operate the system when it is needed, set it to only come on when you need it.
Consider upgrading to a smart thermostat and valves, a more advanced method of controlling your heating that monitors and adjusts to your lifestyle.
Get the system serviced annually, not just the boiler, check for sludge buildup, and air pockets, and a quick look to make sure your rads are in good health and not showing any rust or small leaks.
Another way you can reduce your bills, for example as the weather warms up in springtime, is not to leave the heating on with doors and windows open, you essentially end up heating the garden!
If the opportunity arises you could look at swapping old radiators for more efficient versions, a new radiator may have more surface area to give more heat, but old radiators that may have been painted a number of times can have reduced heat output and also, may have a build-up of sludge, that will restrict the flow around the system.
You don’t have to change your whole system to achieve savings and a more efficient use of energy, simple changes can make a big impact!
