subject: Tips to reduce your heating costs [print this page] Tips to reduce your heating costs Tips to reduce your heating costs
Turn your thermostat down- Reducing your room temperature by just 1C could cut your central heating bills by up to 10% typically saving around 55 per year. Now that the weather is improving, ask yourself if you could reduce it by more than 1C?
Heat only when you need it- If possible set your heating and hot water to come on only when you need it. This will vary over the seasons so you should change your time settings at least 4 times a year (spring, summer, autumn and winter).
Reduce your water temperature- If you need to mix cold water with hot water to get your bath temperature right, it's likely that your cylinder thermostat is set to too high. Ideally your thermostat should be set at 60C/140F, so it's important to check it's not set higher.
Don't obstruct your radiators- If you place furniture or other objects in front of your radiators, they can absorb the heat and therefore reduce the radiator's efficiency. Where possible, try to make sure your radiators have space around them for the heat to go into the air rather than nearby objects.
Bleed your radiators regularly- Bleeding radiators removes any unwanted air which obstructs the flow of hot water from the system making it less efficient. It can be done quite easily with a little care and attention (although make sure your central heating system is switched off at the time).
Insulate your hot water cylinder - Insulate your hot water tank by using a British Standard' hot water cylinder jacket - this will cut heat loss by up to 75% and save around 35 each year. Tank jackets can be can be purchased from your local DIY store and typically cost less than 10. They can be fitted relatively easily, but make sure the system is turned off first.
Insulate your pipes - Installing primary pipe work insulation could save you around 10 a year. Again, fitting insulation to pipes is relatively easy if the pipes are accessible.
Fit reflective radiator panels - You can lose up to 25% of the heat from your radiators through the walls they are attached to so it is a good idea to invest in some reflective radiator panels that reflect the heat back into your home.
Eaga install around 30,000 central heating and boiler systems a year, many on behalf of government initiatives, making it the 2nd largest heating installer in the UK. We are a national company with locally based sales consultants, installation engineers and after sales support.
