As the winter approaches and the temperature drops, so many of us would love nothing more than to switch the central heating up to max, and leave it there until the warm weather returns. Unfortunately however, this just isn’t possible as we will draw far too much by way of energy, and the result will be a whopping bill at the end of the winter.
Thankfully however you don’t have to just rely on your ducted heating system during this time, and there are many energy saving tips which you can rely on to reduce your usage.
Stop The Drafts
We have to stop air escaping from the home and that is why draft excluders and sealed windows are essential to making sure that our energy usage goes further in the home.
Check Insulation
When it comes to heating and air conditioning, it is estimated that we lose 25% of air from our homes because of poor insulation. Be sure that your cavity wall and roof insulation are fit for purpose.
Controlling Your Heating
Adding a thermostat with a timer can put you in charge of when the heating comes on and goes off. This ensures that you are using your central heating in a more efficient way.
Turn it Down
Reducing the temperature by a single degree could reduce energy usage by 10%. Avoid the temptation to put the heating up to the max.
Switching Bulbs
Darker days mean more lighting at home, and this is why you should look to switch to energy-saving bulbs. LED bulbs use significantly less energy and will help you to trim down on costs.
Wearing Clothes
If you are on your own and only occupying a single room, it makes much more sense to use clothing to warm up than to turn on the ducted heating system. You’ll still be warm, and you’ll be using no energy for it.
Using The Sun
Open up those curtains during the day so that you can maximize the heat from the sun’s rays to keep the temperature warmer in your home.
Service Your Boiler
If you haven’t serviced your boiler for a while then it may be working harder, and using more energy than it needs to, in order to provide the heating for the home. A boiler which is running well, will be much more efficient than one which has a problem.
Portable Heaters
Using a single room to relax on a nighttime doesn’t always call for switching the entire heating system on. In these situations a portable heater can provide more than enough warmth for a single room. This is cost effective and will use far less energy.
Keeping Doors Closed
Open doors mean that the warm air is circulated and mixed with colder air from other areas of the home. As the air dilutes you will not feel the benefit of the cold air which the central heating system is producing.
These are some great tips on how you can ensure that you are using less energy in the home.