Heating costs can really begin to add up for homeowners. This is especially true when they have a heating system that is not very eco-friendly. It’s not always possible to replace your old system with one that is more efficient and eco-friendlier, so what does one do in the meantime to bring down costs and waste less energy?
There are many steps that you can take in order to make your heating system more efficient. Here are a few tips that you can use to save money and reduce carbon emissions.
Adjusting Your Thermostat
Adjusting your thermostat to even just one degree can reduce your energy consumption by as much as 10%. That can affect your energy bill by a significant amount over the year.
You can also get a plumber to install thermostatic radiator valves on your radiators. This will allow you to keep the rooms that you use the most at a higher temperature, while keeping the other rooms in your home a lot cooler. When you are able to keep rooms warm based on where you are rather than keeping the entire home warm, it will save you a considerable amount of money and energy.
Use Your Boiler More Efficiently
If you use your boiler efficiently, you can save both money and carbon emissions. When you have a combination boiler that can heat radiators and provide hot water on-demand you can set the heating control to between 60-65 degrees. That is the optimum boiler efficiency temperature.
Most boilers are set to a much higher temperature and then cold water is added in to make warm water. By lowering the temperature of the hot water and not adding cold water to it, you can make it much more efficient. If you have a hot water tank, it works a little differently because you need to heat it high enough to prevent legionnaires disease.
Install Loft Insulation
Most homes lose around a quarter of their heat through the roof. By installing good loft insulation, you can keep the heat from escaping which means that you will not need to keep running heat. Loft insulation may be installed by yourself or you can hire professionals to ensure it is done correctly. The amount of energy that it will save you should make the insulation pay for itself within two years.
Draught Proof Your Home
Just like loft insulation, draught-proofing your home is a great way to keep the warm air inside your home and the cold out. This will help you keep your energy costs down. Draught-proofing your home is something that you can also do on your own. Draught -proofing includes ensuring that all doors and windows have any gaps filled in.
Insulate Your Walls
Many homes that were built after the 1920s have something that is called cavity walls. This means that there are two layers of bricks with a gap in between. This can be quite energy inefficient and you may want to consider properly insulating the walls. This will need to be done by professionals but can save you enough money to pay it back in around four years. It is an investment up front that can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run.
Insulate Your Underfloor
Just like with the walls and loft insulation, underfloor insulation can keep warm air from escaping and the cool air from seeping in. Underfloor insulation is more expensive than wall insulation and cannot be done yourself but it is a great investment if you are able. One of the ways that this is done by professionals is by placing a small robot under the floorboards and using spraying insulation. This is fairly non-invasive and can be a fun process to watch.
Replace Old Doors
If your home is older there is a good chance that the doors are poorly fitting. Either because they never fit well, to begin with, or because the house has settled over the years. There are many options for insulated doors that have draft-proofing already installed around the edge of the door. By replacing old doors with newer, insulated ones, you can save money and reduce carbon emissions. It will also cause an immediate difference in the comfort of your home.
Replace Old Windows
Just like old doors, older windows are incredibly inefficient. Often older windows are single pane glass which means that the cold can easily come through the window and into your home. All newer windows are either double or triple glazed and have an inert gas such as argon in between the glass panes which insulates them quite well.
Although replacing old windows is the best way to reduce the cold air from coming into your home, it can be expensive upfront and might not be a possibility. If it isn’t, you might want to consider glazing your windows yourself. You can either get professionals to do this or you can get a cheaper plastic film from a DIY store that you can fit yourself. This won’t make the windows incredibly efficient but it will stop some of the drafts coming through the glass.
Maintain Your Boiler
It’s essential that you keep your existing boiler in good condition. If you let it wear down or skip the annual maintenance, it will gradually break down and this causes it to lose efficiency. Take the time to schedule your boiler maintenance every fall, before you really need it. You should also call in for repairs when necessary, rather than leaving the system to pump more carbon out.
Use Technology in Your Favour
There are many new advances in technology that can help your home become more efficient. A smart thermostat can learn how your home heats and cools. It can adjust based on the weather and switch on and off depending on what the needs of your home are. Smart thermostats can also be controlled by your phone which means that you can set it lower when you are away and then turn it up when you are on your way home. This will reduce the amount of energy that you use when you are not home.
Although setting up your current heating system to be as energy efficient as possible is a great option, replacing your heater with a more efficient heating system is a better option if you have the money. If you are able to replace your heating system, you might want to consider looking into some of the grants available to replace older systems. These grants are to help people make the transition to a heating system that is better for the environment.
If you do end up getting an eco-friendlier system, then there are a few that you can choose from. A heat pump is basically the same as a refrigeration system but in reverse. Instead of making the inside colder and transferring the heat outside, it extracts heat from the outside and pumps it into the home.
Another option is electric radiators. Electric radiators use electricity to provide heat on demand. They can be relatively inexpensive and many are programmable with smart controls. A third option is infrared heaters. These provide warmth by heating objects rather than air. These are quite an energy-efficient option and can be a wonderful way to heat without heating excessively.
No matter what your budget, there are ways for you to become more eco-friendly and save the environment while also staying warm in the winter. You can consider following the tips that will make your current home heating system more energy efficient or you can find a heating system that works better for you. Whatever your choice, you will be able to be more comfortable in your home during the colder weather while also helping the environment. Not only will both options reduce carbon emissions, but they will also ensure that you will save money.
Here at Mitchells, we can help you to determine which heating option is most efficient for your needs. Contact us today for more information. Our experts are ready to help.