1. Lower the Temperature on Your Thermostat
By lowering the temperature on your thermostat by even 1 degree for an 8-hour period per day, you can save as much as 2% on your heating costs. The best times to turn down your thermostat are bedtime and before you leave for work in the morning. Try sleeping with the temperature set around 18oC. Also, when you leave for work, you might want to lower the heat to 18oC or even cooler, as long as no one will be home during the day.
If you often change the thermostat settings, and the boiler is turning on and off frequently, will actually increase your fuel consumption. Your boiler should be running for longer, steadier intervals based on a schedule.
2. Use a Programmable Thermostat
Speaking of regular schedules – a programmable thermostat makes it incredibly easy for you to maximize your savings and optimize your comfort at the same time. Programmable and smart thermostats enable you to create schedules. Your thermostat will automatically adjust the heat based on your schedule.
For example, you want the temperature to be 18°C when you’re at work, but 21°C when you’re at home. You can program your thermostat to start warming up the house to 21°C right before you’re back from work and walk into an already-warm home.
3. Improve Your Home’s Insulation
No matter how efficiently you set your home temperature, heating costs actually reflect how well (or bad) your home retains heat. Adding more insulation is a good idea if your house has a hard time retaining heat and will make a big impact on your heating costs.
4. Make Sure Doors and Windows Are Closed Tightly
Your home might lose heat through windows and doors, especially if those openings aren’t sealed tightly. At the beginning of the winter, it is a good idea to go around to all of the windows and doors in your home and test them for air leaks. You might feel cool air seeping in along the sides of the windows or the bottom of doors.
5. Get a cosy clothing
The more clothing you wear in the winter, the less you need to crank up the heat in your home. Depending on your tolerance for cold, you might notice a difference in your comfort levels if you put on a sweater over a short-sleeved shirt or switch to wearing pants made from a more substantial material, such as denim or wool. It is also a good idea not to go around the house barefoot during the winter. A pair of cosy socks will warm up your feet and keep the rest of your body warm, too.
When you are lounging around the house at night, watching television or reading a book, curl up under a blanket to keep warm without turning up the heat. It is also a good idea to put an extra blanket or two on your bed so that you can comfortably turn your thermostat down while you sleep.
6. Open Your Curtains on Sunny Days
You might see less of the sun during the winter, but it is not gone entirely. You can use the heat from the sun’s rays to help warm your home during the day time. If you have shades, blinds or curtains, open them up on sunny days to take advantage of sunlight’s warmth. Close the curtains or blinds at night to provide another layer of insulation against the windows.
7. Close off Unused Rooms
Depending on the size of your home and how many people live in it, you might have some extra rooms that you hardly or never use. There is no need to heat the unused areas of your home. To save money on your heating bill, close the door to any areas you do not use regularly.
8. Rearrange Your Furniture
Giving the rooms of your home a new look can have more than aesthetic benefits. Moving furniture around can also help to improve the airflow in a room, meaning the heat is distributed better.
If you have couches, beds or bookcases placed in front of the radiators in a room, the furniture pieces are blocking the flow of air. Move furniture away from radiators so that the heat can travel freely.
9. Cook or Bake at Home
During the winter, you might find that you prefer to eat warm, comforting foods like soups, stews and roasts. You might also find yourself baking more than you do in the summer. Not only will baking or cooking meals at home help you save on restaurant bills and grocery costs, but it will also help to lower your heating bill. The heat from the stove or oven will help to warm up your kitchen.
When you are finished baking, switch off the oven and leave the door open slightly, so that the warm air can escape and heat your kitchen.
10. Have a boiler maintenance before wintertime
A well-maintained boiler is an efficient one. Not only will a well-maintained boiler increase the efficiency of your home heating system, but it will also increase the lifespan of your boiler and help prevent surprise breakdowns.
If you are using a solid fuel or pellet boiler, remember to clean it regularly. A clean from ashes and residues boiler will work much more efficiently and without problems. Also, remember to have an annual cleaning of the chimney duct.
