How to save money on heating this winter

Keep warm for less this winter with money saving tips from Loans 2 Go!

In our recent article Top Ten Tips to Save Energy This Autumn we looked at how to reduce those energy bills that just seem to keep going up and up. One of our tips looked briefly at how to cut heating bills and we are returning to that topic again here because as the weather gets colder, heating is the thing we most need to save money on.

So here are our Top Ten Tips for cutting those heating bills this autumn:

• Recycle heat as you use it

During the course of a typical day you will generate plenty of heat in your home. For example if you have the oven on, take a shower, run a bath or use a washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher. After any of these activities leave internal doors open and don’t turn on fans: this will enable the resulting warm air to circulate round the rest of your home and stronibute to keeping it warm.

• Manage your thermostat

Most of us have our heating thermostat set too high. Even turning your thermostat down by just 1°C can save you money on your heating bill and you most probably won’t notice the difference. You can also get programmable thermostats that enable you to set different temperatures at different times; or consider a remote control heating system to give you complete flexibility.

• Keep your heating on

Also be aware that it can be more economical to keep your heating on constantly on a low heat setting rather than programming it to come on and off frequently throughout the day. Most energy is used when the heating starts up so if it is constantly on this will avoid that energy spike. Having a constant level of low warmth also prevents the home getting really cold and having to use a lot of energy to bring it back up to a reasonable condition again.

• Reduce your water temperature

Most of us also have the thermostat on our boilers or water heaters set too high. Good savings can be made if these are turned down slightly and the difference is unlikely to be noticeable.

• Wrap up warm

We have got into the habit of just turning up the heating if we feel cold, but a more effective – and money saving – way to keep warm can be just to put more layers on or snuggle up in a warm blanket. It is particularly important to keep your feet warm, so socks or slippers are a must.

• Keep the heat in

As well as generating warmth, do all you can to conserve the heat that you have. Keep doors and windows shut to keep the heat in, and block any sources of draught such as fireplaces or under doors. Turn bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans off when they aren’t needed, as they will generate cold air.

• Use the power of light

Continuing on the theme of conserving heat, make sure you keep windows covered when it’s dark outside to reduce heat loss and keep out cold air. But don’t underestimate the power of the sun during the day: even if the quality of light is weak, the rays of sun will still be strong enough to help heat your home.

• Check inside your home

We mentioned draughts earlier, but it can be very easy to miss where they are coming from. A good way to check your home for draughts is to light a candle near the places that draughts may enter, and see if there is any change to the direction of the smoke from the candle. If you spot a draught you can then either find a way to seal it, or may want to consider adding some kind of insulating material. Be thorough and check in a variety of places including light fittings and appliance ventilation panels.

• Check outside your home

Also have a good look round outside your home to see if there are any potential problems either with your heating system or with anything else that could drain heat from your home. Do make sure that your boiler flue is clear of obstruction and able to function fully to keep your heating system safe and at its best level of performance.

• Call in the experts

To get the best from your heating system it is advisable to have it checked regularly by an expert. Many insurance companies will offer an annual checkup as part of their service and it is worth arranging this to ensure that your heating runs more efficiently.

We hope that these tips enable you to keep your heating system in top condition this autumn whilst keeping the bills as low as possible. Check back here soon for more money saving tips from Loans2Go.