With energy costs surging, millions of households are searching for ways to trim their heating bills. Professionals want to remind you that even little adjustments can lead to huge improvements in comfort and cost. Sarah Pennells, a consumer finance specialist at Royal London, highlights that adopting simple measures can make a big difference during the colder months. As winter approaches, we want everyone to stay warm and healthy with useful tips and information. This guidance makes it easier for them to reduce energy use.
Routine boiler maintenance and smart heating habits are two easy and effective ways residents can save money. Sophie Burr, project development coordinator at National Energy Action, highlights the need for this step, regular boiler servicing. She hopes that through this law, all rental properties will be held liable to the same legal standard. It is absolutely indispensable in scaling up energy efficiency and maintaining safety. Take simple steps to reduce heating use. When you make sure you’re taking care of your appliances, you can help make the energy crisis work for you.
Understanding Heating Efficiency
It’s all about finding the right balance between comfort and cost to save on your home energy bills. During the wintertime, a comfortable indoor temperature for most people is around 64°F to 70°F (18°C-21°C). According to Citizens Advice, lowering your thermostat by just one degree could save you around 10% off your energy costs. They recommend that older people and those with health issues ensure the thermostat is never set below 21°C. In doing so, we’ll better protect their lives and welfare.
Moreover, keeping the heating on continuously at a low temperature may cost more than setting it to a higher temperature for shorter periods. To increase heating effectiveness, set the heating to turn off at least 30 minutes prior to leaving the home. The same holds true to effects when you’re on your way to sleep. These types of practices don’t just save states money — they create healthier, more sustainable living environments in the process.
“When it comes to staying warm and saving energy, small changes can make a big difference.” – Sarah Pennells
Beyond raising the thermostat, several strategies can help make heating more efficient. Bleeding your radiators every few months ensures they’re running at peak performance. Moreover, radiator reflectors distribute heat more evenly across the room, ensuring that it doesn’t seep out through outside walls. According to the Maryland Association of Counties, as much as 35% of heating in a home is lost through walls, so these modifications are essential.
Importance of Boiler Servicing
Making regular boiler servicing a priority is vital not only for safety, but for performance. Sophie Burr emphasizes that annual servicing is not just recommended. It is required by law for all homes in the rental sector. Putting off boiler maintenance can mean lost fuel efficiency and it can be a matter of life and death, as poorly maintained boilers can leak deadly carbon monoxide.
Performing a standard boiler service isn’t cheap, costing on average £70 to £110. Annual preventive maintenance on your heating system provides you with safety and peace of mind. What Burr really wants people to understand is that regular boiler maintenance is paramount. Without it, mileage decreases, making it more expensive in the long run.
“Annual boiler servicing for all homes in the rental sector is a requirement by law.” – Sophie Burr
You can achieve considerable gas bill savings just by lowering your boiler’s flow temperature from 75-80°C to somewhere closer to 60°C. Don’t worry, this shift isn’t going to trade your comfort levels for a song. This simple change can save money and energy while ensuring homes stay warm.
Smart Heating Solutions
With prices for energy skyrocketing, smaller innovative low-carbon home heating practices are gaining momentum. British Gas in particular provides a valuable public service through its HomeCare policy. For only £19 a month, homeowners can get additional help with controlling their heating systems. By taking advantage of such services, consumers can make certain their homes are comfortable and protect their wallets at the same time.
That’s a big change from the last few energy crises, Burr says. Instead, people have started to focus on warming their bodies, rather than their whole houses. This reversal is a welcome sign of our increasing awareness and push towards energy conservation and more efficient heating.
“During the energy crisis, we’ve found that people have changed their behaviours and started to warm the person rather than the house.” – Sophie Burr
Research has shown that it is often more cost-effective to heat spaces effectively while keeping radiators in unused rooms set to lower temperatures. This approach is cheaper overall and avoids mold — a major cause of respiratory problems — that can occur with wet insulation.
“Our research has shown that it is more cost-effective to heat the whole space while turning the radiators down to number 2 in rooms you are not using.” – Sophie Burr