How You Can Lower Your Heating Bill

British households typically turn their heating on in October and use it on a daily basis until around March and sometimes even April time, coinciding with the drop in outside temperature, the clocks going back and Winter Fuel Payments. This heating accounts for over 50% of the energy consumed by households.

Broken boiler?

The government’s most recent report shows that 2.4 million households are in fuel poverty. Fuel Poverty essentially means a household cannot afford to keep adequately warm at a reasonable cost, taking their income into account.

How to lower your heating bills

The following points will be covered in this article:

• Learn how to control your heating and thermostat

• Insulate your home

• Stopping draughts

• Managing radiators

• Installation of a new boiler

• Regular boiler servicing

• Learn to change habits

Although a definitive solution is required to fix this widespread problem, some simple steps can be taken to reduce your energy bills and leave you with more money to spend on fun things for you and your family to go and do!

1. Learn to control your central heating

Learning how to control your heating system’s settings to deliver optimum temperature in accordance to your lifestyle can also save you lots of money on your bills. The Centre for Sustainable Energy recommends programming your boiler to turn the heating on 30 minutes before you wake up in the morning but at a lower temperature.

By reducing your room temperature by just 1°C, a change you may not even notice, you could potentially cut your bills by up to £75 a year in an average home. Public Health England suggests 18°C as the minimum temperature of your living room.

2. Insulate your home

Insulate your home to reduce heat loss through your walls and loft. Almost a third of heat lost in uninsulated homes escapes through the loft/roof. Although loft insulation isn’t cheap, it can save you lots of money in the long run by £160 a year.

3. Stop the draughts

Cushion draught excluders are a cheap way to block draughts whilst accessorising your home and can be bought for as little as a pound. Self-adhesive rubber seals for doors and windows are also relatively cheap and easy to install.

Swapping your single glazed windows to double or triple glazed also reduces heat lost through the glass. If this is too costly, even closing your curtains at night can help to create a protective layer of insulation, but make sure to open them during the daytime to make the most of heat from the sun.

4. Stop blocking the radiator

Although having your sofa next to the radiator seems like a great idea, your sofa is in fact absorbing heat that could be warming the rest of the home. Similarly, letting clothes dry and curtains rest on the radiators is preventing the hot air from circulating freely. Reflective radiator panels are also a cheap way to bounce the heat back off the walls into the room.

5. Replace your boiler

If your boiler is over 10 years old, it may be time to upgrade to a newer, more efficient model. An A-rated boiler could potentially save you £350 a year. Click here for a fixed quote with 0% finance available for 2 years.

It is difficult to know exactly when you should replace your boiler, and none of us want to spend money if we don't have to, so read our advice on when we feel you should consider replacing your boiler with a newer model.

6. Service your boiler regularly

Although paying for an annual service costs money, having your boiler serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer such as an iHeat engineer will ensure it is running efficiently and help to prevent it from breaking down, in turn saving you a potential hefty replacement cost. Most boiler warranties also become invalid without a regular service, so take care of your boiler and it will take care of you.

7. Change your habits

Some simple changes to make to reduce your energy bill are:

• Switch appliances off instead of leaving them on standby as they can still consume 75% of the energy they use when turned on.

• Switch lights off when you leave the room.

• Unplug or turn off chargers even if they are not plugged into a device.

• Only boil as much water as you need.

• Use extra layers such as clothes or blankets to stay warm.

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