Simple Tips To Save Heat And Money In The Home

These tips may seem obvious but from experience most people ignore them and waste money unnecessarily. Some only require getting into the habit of thinking is there a good reason why this is switched on. For more information on reducing costs and saving heat see saving reducing heating costs at Practical Home Energy Saving.

Turn The Central Heating Temperature Down A Few Degrees
You may not even notice the difference - if not try turning it down even further. Every 1 degree above 19C costs around 10% extra.

Turn The Hot Water Temperature Down A Few Degrees
You may not even notice the difference - if not try turning it down even further.

Reduce Draughts
From keyholes, door edges, window edges, etc. Fit draught proof flaps to the letter box and keyholes which are often a major source of draughts.

Close The Curtains At Night In All Rooms
Not just the rooms you are using - make sure curtains are not hanging over radiators.

Don't Leave Windows And Doors Open Unnecessarily
How often has a window been left open and forgotten? Shut doors properly to reduce draughts, also shut doors to unheated areas of the house.

Set Thermostatic Radiator Valves Properly
So that all rooms are the required temperature. Turn off or turn down radiators in rooms not used for long periods.

Fit Insulated Reflective Foil Behind Radiators On Outside Walls
To reduce heat leakage through the wall.

Keep Furniture Away From Radiators
To improve air circulation. Also fit a narrow shelf about 2 inches above radiators to force heat into the room rather than up the wall.

Use A Shower Or Only Fill The Bath WIth As Much Water As You Need
The means less hot water is used.

Don't Empty Hot Baths Until The Water Has Cooled Down
Emptying a hot bath is putting heat down the drain.

Make Sure The Loft Has At Least 350mm Of Insulation (Or The Equivalent)
Loft insulation is very easy to fit and is not that expensive. Don't forget to insulate under boarded areas and insulate the loft trapdoor which is often forgotten.

Insulate Central Heating And Hot Water Pipes In The Loft Properly
This is a relatively simple task which need not cost large sums of money. Don't forget to insulate valves but make sure they are easily accessible.

Make Sure Heating Boilers Are Properly Serviced and Set Up
This is a relatively simple task which need not cost large sums of money.

Turn The Central Heating System Off At Night
Set the heating to come on about 15 minutes before you normally get up and go off around half an hour before you normally go to bed. Good home insulation speeds system warm up and slows cool down.

Minimise The Use Of Open Gas Fires In Fireplaces With Open Chimneys
Around 80% of the heat is lost up the chimney.

Run The Hot Tap Until The Water Runs Hot Rather Than Turning On The Cold Tap At The Same Time
There isn't much point cooling down water that isn't hot enough yet and it saves on water heating.