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How You Can Reduce Your Heating Bill


This winter, we're all likely to spend a little more time at home than we had intended. Whether you work from home or simply spend more nights at home, as the cold weather approaches, it's important to start thinking about how to stay warm (and, more specifically, how to keep your house warm without sending your heating bills through the roof).

Nobody wants to spend their days shivering on the couch or typing an email with frostbitten fingertips, so let's face it: turning on the heat will be required at some point throughout the winter.

Heating and hot water make up around 55% of a household's energy bills. Making small changes to how you use your heating system can significantly reduce the money you spend on heating. 




New boilers will cost less to run than old ones, although replacing your boiler is very expensive, it may not always be an option for everyone. If you think replacing your boiler would be too expensive, then if you have older heating controls,, you could just replace those instead as it would be much less costly, and newer heating controls will be much more accurate. Examples of heating controls are timers, programmers, room thermostats, and smart thermostats.

 

2) Get Your Radiator System Cleaned.


Ensure that your system's water is clean and free of sludge. This will result in your heating system being more efficient. It also will help with the lifespan of your boiler and heating system. If the bottoms of your radiators are cold or if they are taking a long time to heat up, then that is probably a sign that you have sludge in your radiators. When getting a new boiler installed, it is also necessary to have a clean system to validate the manufacturer's warranty on your new boiler.





3) Check That Your Radiators Are Balanced

A poorly balanced heating system will also result in you spending more money to heat your home than is necessary. In an unbalanced system, when you set the thermostat to 20 degrees, the upstairs parts of the house might reach up to 23 degrees while downstairs, where most of us tend to spend most of our day, will remain cold. Turn the thermostat up until the downstairs reaches a comfortable temperature. The upstairs will become too hot, resulting in a thermostat at too high a temperature, increasing the heating bill.




4) Have Your Boiler On The Correct Settings


Only during the coldest parts of winter should your boiler be set to its highest. Otherwise, your boiler is squandering energy by needlessly heating water to a very high temperature. Your condensing boiler may not even condense, which is another possibility. Not setting the boiler's temperature too high is the most straightforward technique to ensure it is reduced. The boiler's water should condense at a temperature of 70 °C. The return temperature of the water to your boiler and its capacity to condense will be affected if your system is unclean or unbalanced, though.


5) Time Or Programme Your Heating

Instead of manually turning on and off your boiler every hour, you can arrange it using a timer. You have even more options with a programmer because you may program various timings and temperatures for multiple days of the week. When shopping for a new programmer, consider one that enables you to set multiple temperatures for different times of the day. After that, alter the pattern according to the day of the week. Don't forget to keep your heating schedule off when you might be at home and don't need the heating on, for instance, at night.

 

6) Make The Most Out Of Your Thermostats

As you find a temperature you are comfortable with, increase the room's thermostat by one degree daily, starting at 18°C. For older adults and people with reduced mobility, the temperature shouldn't fall below 16°C. Room thermostats must not be hidden by drapes or blocked by furniture to effectively measure the temperature. They need a clear path for air to pass through. Also, they could not function effectively without nearby electric heaters, TVs, or lighting. The boiler will be turned off when the room in which the thermostat is installed reaches the desired temperature. Many room thermostats are only for one room. The most incredible place for your thermostat to be installed is in a room always in use.

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