Winter Energy Saving: 7 Tips to Help You
Winter is coming.
Which means the promise of cosy nights, gift giving, and festive food draws near. But, it also means that cooler weather is on the horizon. This may make for some memorable snow days, but can also result in a home that feels cooler and less comfortable.
If you have a decent heating system, you might feel ready to conquer the cold. But, as you rely more on the warmth your radiators provide, it can mean higher energy bills occur.
Fortunately for you, at UK Radiators, we’ve outlined our top 7 energy saving tips to help you this season. Read on to find out more in our blog below…
If you'd like a little more guidance before making a purchase with UK Radiators, please get in touch with our expert team here.
1. Use automatic timers
Ensure you have your heating on an effective automatic timer system. Column radiators, heated towel rails and many others, only need to be switched on when you’re using the bathroom in the morning and at night. If you’re out for most of the day, make sure your home isn’t being heated until you’re back.
2. Use or don't use your fireplace properly
If you use your fireplace with a real burning fire, make sure the heat isn’t escaping out of the chimney by keeping the damper in a closed position when not in use. If you don’t use your fireplace, seal the chimney to stop warm air escaping.
3. Make the most of the sunlight
Make the most of what sunlight you can get. Opening your blinds or curtains during the day will let you maximise the energy and warmth coming in from natural light. Therefore, you won’t have to rely on your heating system as much.
4. Maintain your radiators
Another tip is to ensure you maintain and take care of your radiators and heating system. This means bleeding them regularly and repairing them where necessary. If something is leaking or not working properly, it’s almost certainly going to be wasting money on your energy bills.
5. Asses the temperature of your hot water
Turn down the temperature of your hot water if you’re able to, as this could also be wasting energy in your household - and you’ll likely not notice much of a difference. This applies to any clothes you wash in the washing machine too.
6. Check your tariff
If you are on an Economy 7 or Economy 10 electricity tariff, you will get cheaper electricity at night than during the day. This means you could save money by only turning on appliances - such as your water heater - that use more energy at night.
7. Layer up
Rather than turning up the thermostat to warm up your home, wear more layers and try to spend more time in the warmest areas of the house. Just turning your thermostat down by one or two degrees can save a lot of money in the long run - and will make little difference to your comfortability.
Why is energy saving in the winter important?
Energy saving in the winter is important for several reasons, for example, it can:
Lower bills
Put simply, when you use less energy, or use it more efficiently, your heating system doesn’t work as hard to heat your home.
As a result, the amount you spend on energy will be lower.
Reinforce good habits to use all year round
Energy saving is especially important in the colder months when you rely on it more, but doing so can actually reinforce good habits all year round. For example, turning off appliances, electric radiators, and lights you aren’t using can help save energy in the summer too.
Day by day, this might not amount to a higher saving, but over a year - the money you saved will be significant.
Improve comfort and be more impactful
Energy saving will also improve your comfort at home, and also be more impactful when it comes to efficiently heating the house. For example, if you own energy efficient appliances, this will help your house heat up without putting as much strain on your heating system.
This will have a big impact when it comes to using less energy, as well as keeping you cosy at home in the colder months.
What are the benefits of energy efficient appliances?
The benefits of purchasing and owning energy saving appliances are vast. For example, they are:
Cost-effective
The key benefit to energy efficient appliances is their cost effectiveness. Since they use less energy and gas to operate, it can have a direct impact on lowering your energy bills.
Better for the environment
Energy efficient appliances are also better for the environment. Put simply, as they require less energy to operate, they don’t rely on fossil fuels as much as ordinary appliances. As a result, they produce less greenhouse gas emissions - which are responsible for global warming and climate change.
Increase home value
Energy efficient appliance increase home value in several ways. For example, these appliance have a higher EPC rating - which looks attractive to prospective buyers. Moreover, as energy efficient appliances have lower running costs, this will also be more appealing to property seekers looking to save in the future.
