It might be true that rising heating costs burn, but the only thing worse is going cold. Luckily, you do not need to trade comfort for cost! There are some practical changes you can make in your home that will help the rooms feel warmer and take some of the pressure off your heating system.
Simple, practical ways to save on heating costs without living in a blanket:
1) Quick wins to stop heat escaping
The best heat is the one you keep. Draught-proof doors and windows, draught excluders, brush strips, etc., to close any gaps.
At dusk, close curtains as well: Particularly in the bedrooms and living areas.
For those with older windows, thicker curtains or thermal linings can help.
Bare floors can be cold, so add some rugs to warm up a room.
2) Think differently about your thermostat usage (not just cooler)
Resetting can often get carried away, and you end up cranking the heating back up later.
Start with some kind of a base that you can do comfortably and increase very gradually.
Use a programmable thermostat and program heating around your routine instead of having it on all day.
Stop filling up empty rooms: close doors and dial down the heat where you don’t want it.
3) Only sacrifice a small amount to comfort and go out with the radiators turned down
All you really do is turn the heat up more if one room is boiling and another freezing.
If the top of your radiators are cold, bleed them.
Test that TRVs operate freely and are not seized.
If certain radiators never work with automatic balancing, ask an engineer. For Tewkesbury Boilers, contact combi-man.com/boiler-finance/boiler-finance-tewkesbury/
4) Don’t block radiators
Avoid placing large pieces of furniture in front of a radiator.
Don’t hang wet items of clothing on radiators – it reduces their heat output, and moisture that evaporates from the clothes can increase condensation.
Be sure to add some tinfoil behind radiators in the event you have external walls.
Expense – Higher running fees may apply because of an out-of-date or significantly less reliable boiler.
Book an annual boiler service.
Ensure boiler pressure is at the ideal stage.
For an older system, a magnetic filter will protect your system from sludge.
If you still seem to be losing the battle, then perhaps it is time for insulation upgrades or to get your heating system checked out. In other words, you are not living cold – you are simply making your home more affordable and maintaining the warmth inside.
