Keeping the cost of your heating down can be a challenge, when winters are cold, utility charges are increasing and you are feeling the chill!

So here are some simple things that you can do to avoid wasting heat and to try to reduce those heating bills.

Heat your home effectively
Turning the heating off in the whole house is not an effective solution in cold weather. Instead, be efficient about which spaces you heat and how.
• Set the right temperature: usually between 18°C (bedrooms) and 21°C (living rooms). Simply by reducing the thermostat temperature by 1°C is enough to save up to 10% of your annual heating costs and you will barely notice the temperature drop.
• Keep your heating constant: a consistent, low setting is most efficient. This ensures that the boiler does not constantly re-ignite, reducing gas consumption.
• Don’t overheat unused rooms: turn the radiator down or off in rooms that aren’t used often, and keep doors closed
• Don’t overheat the kitchen: this is likely to be one of the warmest rooms in your house due to cooking appliances. So the radiator probably doesn’t need to be on a high setting.
• Set your hot water cylinder to 60°C: avoids overheating water. (Read “Setting your hot water cylinder thermostat to 60°C makes health and financial sense!” for more reasons why this is important.)
• Replace light bulbs: use CFL (energy-efficient) light bulbs. They will last considerably longer and save you money

Make your radiators work for you
Leave plenty of space around radiators:
• Radiator thermostats react to the air temperature surrounding them so other sources of heat should not be placed nearby e.g televisions, lamps, etc.
• Putting furniture in front of a radiator means it will need to work harder to heat the room.
• Don’t cover your radiators or use them to dry wet clothes as this prevents heat reaching the rest of the room
Reflect the heat: put heat-reflective foil behind radiators on outside walls (specially-designed radiator foil is available from DIY stores and not too expensive). This will reflect the heat back into the room, rather than letting the wall absorb it.
Add thermostatic valves to all your radiators: only turn them on in the rooms you use frequently and ensure you keep all the doors closed!
Use an electronic heating timer: it’s worth taking the time to understand how this works and use it correctly to efficiently heat your home and water.
Dress warmly: wearing adequate clothing indoors means that you could turn your thermostat down by a couple of degrees and still be warm enough. Several layers of clothes are far more effective at keeping you warm than one thick jumper.

Insulate your home
Insulating the walls, roof, loft, water tank, pipes and floors of your home can make an enormous difference to your heating bills. Around 40% of all heat loss is through the walls of an average UK home.
• Ensure your loft is insulated to a depth of at least 25cm. A well insulated loft can reduce heating bills by about 20%
• Check cavity walls are fully insulated.

You may be eligible for government assistance to insulate your home if you are over a certain age or meet other low-income criteria. Find out more from Directgov.

Prevent draughts!
Research suggests that around 20% of the heat in an average home is lost through ventilation and draughts.
• Fill all gaps: install draught-excluding brushes in letterboxes, and ensure that all windows, doors, keyholes and cat-flaps are adequately insulated.
• Stop heat escaping up the chimney: if you never use your fireplace, close-off the opening to prevent cold air coming in and warm air escaping!
• Close curtains and blinds: rooms are warmed by the sun, so during colder months close your curtains at sunset to keep heat in.

Keep an eye on your energy suppliers
• Switch energy supplier or tariff: could you save money by switching energy suppliers? Research by Ofgem found that around 46% of us have either never switched suppliers, or have done so only once. Alternatively, find out if you can get a better tariff with your existing provider. Try MoneySavingExpert.com for more information.
• Pay by direct debit: if you have chosen the best supplier and tariff, could you save money on the way you pay the bills? Government figures indicate that approximately 40% of customers still pay gas and electricity bills by cash, cheque or debit card. Whereas, paying by direct debit means you could make a typical annual saving of £55 for gas and £46 for electricity.
• Check meter readings: don’t forget to check estimated bills against your actual meter readings. If the estimate is too high then contact the energy provider, give them the correct reading and get a revised bill.

If you would like help with any plumbing, heating and electrical issues or projects, then please call Chez-Vous Property Services to talk to your Berkshire plumber and electrician on 0118 9770215.

www.ServicesForProperty.co.uk