Slash your impending energy account

Energy economy and cutting energy use is critical to us all in present-day times. energy costs seem as though they will increase for years to come and reducing your gas boiler energy consumption can only be a good thing. You may be surprised to know that up to fifty percent of your energy costs will be related to your gas heating system. To help you we have outlined below some quick advice to cut your heating bills.

Don’t use the central heating in places where it is not required :
Turn off the metal radiator in any rooms which are not used such as the guest room or utility room. Why heat rooms which are not going to be used, this only increases your gas consumption. Also close the entrance door to these rooms when not in use.

Use the gas boiler to heat your home rather than other appliances :
The fire is not as efficient as the gas heating system and it will not heat the rest of your home. A lot of the heat generated by a fire goes up in the flue to the outside, whilst an electric fire appears to give immediate heat it is not as cost-efficient as the heating boiler in heating the room.

Use insulation to stop draughts
Drafts bring cold air into your home wasting gas you have already paid for. Doors are often areas where cold air leaks in so use approved entrance door insulation. Use a foam based sealer to close off any gaps between your entrance door frame and the windows where these meet the exterior wall. These type of gaps happen often in aging houses as the foundations settle. Just light a candle in each room and follow how the flame flickers to trace down causes of draughts.

Don’t turn up the heating, put on more clothing :
If you are reaching to switch up the heating thermostat stop and consider whether it could be better to put on some extra clothing. Surprisingly, a 1° reduction in the room thermostat can result in a 10% reduction in your gas consumption.

Use the drapes effectively :
In the winter make sure that the drapes are open when the sun is shining to heat your home. At night as the outside temperatures drop a lot of heat can leach out through your windows. closing the drapes provides an incremental layer of insulation and will help to cut this heat loss, if you stick to this approach over many months you can save large sums on your heating bills. Thin curtains are not as effective as thick ones at stopping this heat loss.

Some advice for other parts of your heating system :
Insulate the hot water tank if your boiler has one. The hot water cylinder will hold hot water you have paid for and it is madness to allow this to cool down unused throughout the daytime.

Don’t heat the walls of your house directly behind the radiators, shiny foil can be used to reflect the heat trimming this heat loss.