Ways to Save Money on Your Winter Heating Bills
We’ve just experienced one of the mildest, yet wettest winters in recent history. In fact, January 2014 was the wettest since records began. But it’s not time to relax. Now is the time to start preparing for next winter, as I’m sure the snow will arrive again then. Here’s a small guide to help you save money on your winter heating bills.
Prepare in spring and summer
Winter is only just over, many people are anticipating the summer and paying little thought to next winter. So spring and summer are the times to get work done, tradespeople are quieter and keener to get your business. Expect quotes to be cheaper during these times compared to the autumn and winter months. Even oil is often cheaper in the warmer seasons. For the same reason, get your boiler serviced during this time. It will be cheaper than trying to get a tradesperson out in an emergency during the winter.
Check where your heat is going
While every house needs air circulating and fresh air continually coming in to prevent damp and mould, what needs to be checked is the way heat is lost. Single glazed windows are a prime candidate, especially in older houses where they are also likely to be poorly fitted. If you don’t want to go to the expense of double glazing, take the cheaper option and add temporary secondary glazing to your single glazed windows. It’s a simple plastic film which adheres to the window frame and is heat shrunk by a hairdryer, creating an insulating air pocket between the glass and plastic. Don’t forget your doors in your survey either. Are they adequately insulated? Are they partially or fully glazed with single glazing?
Turn down the thermostat and set your heating on timer
Continuous low heating has been proven to be more expensive than timed or intermittent heating. Set your timer, or just manually switch your heating on and off when you need. Use your room thermostat for what it was intended. Turning it down even a couple of degrees will lower your heating costs.
Don’t overheat your bedrooms by installing individual thermostatic radiator valves
At night, we are wrapped up warm and don’t need much extra heating. By installing thermostatic radiator valves, you can control how much heat travels to your upstairs rooms. Keeping the valves low upstairs will make the heat more intense downstairs, which then works with the room thermostat to switch off the heating more regularly.
Use your woodburning stove
Even if you don’t have free wood available to you, a woodburner can be an efficient way to heat your home, especially if you just need to top up the temperature in the evenings. Again, look for your fuel during the off-season when people are offloading it cheaply.
Long term energy investment
If you are not too daunted by an initial large expenditure, look to alternative heat sources. Solar panels will certainly give you power over brighter times, but during winter months they are not very efficient. New systems such as ground or air source heat pumps extract heat from the ground or air, regardless of the outside temperature. While the heat output is not as intense as conventional systems, the same result is effected by a gentle continuous heat instead.
Leslie writes on his blog and for various small business websites in Ireland.
