With weather forecasters predicting that temperatures are set to plummet this winter and snow and biting gale force winds likely for most of the country, many homeowners will be left worrying how they are going to manage their energy bills and heat their homes efficiently.
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So, to help homeowners save money and energy, UK boiler manufacturer Baxi has prepared some top heating and money saving tips:
Baxi’s tips:
Draught-proof your home – did you know doors, windows, floors and even key holes can create a draught, letting heat escape from your home? Using draught sealant on doors and windows can really help keep the heat in and the cold out. A draught excluder is also a great way to keep your home warm, and you can even make your own. Full draught-proofing can save you, on average, £55 a year.
Close curtains at dusk to help keep the warmth in and the cold out; thermal or heavy curtains will help to stop heat escaping through the windows.
Turn it down – turn your room thermostat down by just one degree and it could save you up to £65 a year.
Don’t put clothes on your radiators, or furniture near to them. The hot air needs to circulate around a room, and so blocking the radiators could affect how warm your rooms are.
Get your loft insulated – it could save you around £175 a year. It’s a simple and effective way to reduce your heating bills.
Consider installing heating controls – investing in room thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves can potentially save you up to £289 a year.
Invest in double glazing – 20 per cent of heat lost in an average home is through the windows, so by fitting double glazing and draught sealant you can reduce this by more than half.
Make sure you get your boiler serviced annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer to ensure it performs safely and efficiently. An efficient boiler is a cost-effective boiler.
If you have a shower that takes hot water straight from the boiler or hot water tank (a mixer shower), fitting a water-efficient shower head could reduce hot water consumption dramatically.
Worried about frozen pipes? When water freezes in a pipe and turns to ice, it expands and this can cause pipes to burst. Not only is this dangerous, but it can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to your home. By insulating bare pipes outside your home you can help to prevent such damage.
If your boiler’s condensate pipe is installed externally it could freeze in extreme cold weather. If this happens, the boiler will shut down to protect itself. Check the pipe is adequately sized and consider adding insulation or trace heating to help prevent it from freezing. Watch Baxi’s video for even more tips to protect your condensate pipe during the winter.
Turn your hot water cylinder down to 60°C/140°F and this could help to save you money. To prevent the growth of harmful bacteria it should not be lower than this temperature.
Check your hot water tank and hot water pipes are insulated; by doing so you could save £60 a year*.
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