A warm and cozy home comes with a price tag, and in this case, I’m talking of electric or gas bills. We cannot escape these costs as keeping warm is a necessity. However, controlling how much the bill will be every month is very much possible. Keeping your home warm during winter shouldn’t leave you broke. There’s a lot you can do to save and decrease the price of utility bills every month.
Ensuring that your household heating controls are set properly is of the most effective ways to avoid spending more on energy bills. When heating controls are done correctly, you won’t have to spend more than what you’re supposed to pay.
Below I have listed a few tips that will help you cut the cost of heating, simply scroll down to continue reading:
The radiator dial on your boiler should be checked
Some boilers have a control that sets the temperature at which water is piped around the radiator, and some individuals tend to turn this setting up during winter, thinking doing so is what will make the home warm. However, according to experts, you can have your home warm even when the radiator is in a lower setting.
Setting the radiator dial high isn’t necessary but will just increase your electricity bills. You achieve the same temperature on a low setting even when you put it on high. Having the setting on low is very ideal as it will save you lots of money in the process.
You can achieve the same temperature at a lower setting, the only difference is that it will take a few minutes to achieve the same warmness as on high. The difference can be compared to driving from Manchester to London at 60mph or 90 mph. When driving at a lower speed, it will take you longer to get to London, however, at the end of the day, you will still get there and save fuel in the process.
Experts recommend having the temperature around 55c to keep your home warm. Most radiators have a temperature display, so moving the radiator dial to 55c will save you a lot of money. Older models of boilers, however, do not show temperature. The best thing to do in this case is to invest in a pipe thermostat, it doesn’t cost much of course but will also do the same job of helping you track your temperature.
All these tips from experts are very much useful. However, you can choose to have your own set-up at home. You can use other methods to help you save on bills. Overall, the way your household uses energy will affect the optimal settings for you.
The hot water dials should be fixed
Most combination boilers have a hot water dial. Its function is to determine the temperature at which water comes out of the faucets. People tend to set this dial on high, and when the water is too hot, they then mix it with cold water to achieve the right temperature. Obviously, this will increase the water bill as it uses more water.
According to experts. The right temperature is somewhere around 42 to 43 degrees if your boiler is a combination and only heats the level of water you require. However, you keep the temperature much higher at about 60 degrees or more when your heating system has a hot water cylinder. This is because bacteria can multiply in cooler water which then leads to illness once you inhale it or gets in contact with you.
Invest in a cheap insulation
I know the word “cheap” may sound awkward to some of you but in this case, it’s super helpful. Invest in pipe insulation for a few pounds from a DIY store and you will get your money back multiple times during winter when you save on bills.
The boiler is usually located in a place where it gets in contact with other stuff such as camping equipment, cleaning equipment, bikes, etc. So, when your boiler pipes are not insulated, they are warming up all this equipment instead of the heat going to the radiators. So, you’re actually paying the electricity bills just to keep your camping and cleaning equipment warm instead of you and your family.
Buying the pipe insulation will help you save a lot of pounds and in the process, it will have your home warmer quicker. Some individuals tend to store their rowels with their cylinders and after that, they congratulate themselves on having warm and cozy towels, yet it could be a sign that better insulation is needed. You can save a lot on electricity bills with proper insulation.
Make sure to check timer settings
During winter, almost all households set their heating to go on automatically and they do not check if the timing settings are still best for them every year. Analyze your life and see how your habits change each year and you will see that for example, you no longer need the heating going on at dawn if you wake up late.
Analyzing how your habits have changed will help you set the timer correctly and help you save a lot of pounds in the process. This is something every household should do if they truly need to cut the cost of heating.
Make sure you check your thermostat
A thermostat aims to regulate the temperature of your home. You set your preferred temperature, and if your home gets colder, the thermostat will make sure the boiler fires up until it achieves your preferred temperature. Experts recommend setting your thermostat somewhere between 18C and 21C, however it all comes down to what you prefer and how you afford it.
Check your radiator settings
If you leave more radiators on, your bill will pile up too. Switching them off in rooms that are not in use makes sense and will save you money too.
The thermostatic valves on the radiator measure the temperature in a room, make sure they are clean, dust free, and away from direct sunlight if you want to get an accurate reading. However, if you don’t have valves on your radiator, you can save lots of pounds by having them installed because without them, you have very little control over the temperature that comes out.
Finally, it is very important to have your boiler services every year, this helps make sure the system is working efficiently and effectively at all times.