The cold winter months are now rolling in, and whilst some of us are prepared to grin and bear it by layering up with cardigans and jumpers, most of us will inevitably give in and turn on the heating. But how do you avoid getting carried away and racking up a hefty gas bill? Here are some top tips to get the most out of your heating without also burning through your hard earned funds.
Short bursts vs Keeping it on constantly
There’s long been a big debate over whether it’s more efficient and economical to keep the heating on constantly or have it firing in short bursts. The truth is that both have their drawbacks. Certainly, having the heating roaring 24/7 will burn through a lot of fuel. But running in short bursts can be just as draining as it takes the flame more gas to get started up than to keep going.
As a result, one of the best approaches is to reach a happy medium, keeping the heating on for more than an hour at a time at only the coldest intervals of the day (ideally the morning and the evening).
If your boiler has a timer you can save the trouble having to do this manually (everyone wants to wake up in the morning and come home in the evening to a toasty home). Most modern timers will also allow you to set different temperatures at different times. And there are even boilers that will be triggered by a specific temperature.
Useful sites such as energy provider comparison site, USwitch, recommend using a boiler timer and room thermostat in conjunction with radiator temperature controls (TRVs) as well keeping the home well insulated.
When the heating plays up
Not all of us are sly enough to service our boiler in the summer, which means we’ll only notice there’s a big fat problem when it’s too late. However, there are ways to get heating repaired and replaced more affordably.
For example, there are some companies like Blake & Sons Heating and Air will offer free estimates, which means you won’t have to pay a handyman the first time just to come out and look at your boiler. Estimate fees may not come at a great cost, but they can be an oversight that many people fall trap to. Only pay for what you need!
Insulation life-hacks
There are a lot of handy home improvements that one can make such as installing electric heating pumps and loft insulation that you can shell out on, certain to pay for themselves in the long run. Â But there are much cheaper life-hacks you can rely on too.
For instance, keeping blinds rolled down won’t keep in the warmth, but in actual fact make your home chillier. Rolling them up will let any sun in, which will warm the house up much quicker. Staying in the kitchen whilst you cook is also a way to avoid reaching for the thermostat (providing that you’re using the stove of course – the microwave won’t offer much warmth!). For anyone who is interested in further details, this site can help.
