Plumbing, Heating, Gas Safe Engineers, Boiler Installation, Repair & Maintenance, Central Heating & Underfloor Heating
Heating and hot water systems, are essential for comfortable living and what most people have come to expect. Its nice when outdoors in the colder months, to look forward to returning home and ‘thawing out’, maybe even running a warm bath to help unwind and ease any aches and pains. One way to get the best from your heating system, is to use your heating controls effectively, and while this may seem obvious it isn’t always put into practice. You may not realise that the way you use your boiler, radiators, thermostat, programmer and timer can reduce your energy consumption, and help cut fuel costs.
Boiler and Heating Control Updates
Boiler replacement can be expensive, so its worth checking if its worth simply updating the controls, to newer more accurate types. The Energy Saving Trust [EST] state that £80 to £165 could be saved annually by installing a newer room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves. Heating control options include a timer, thermostatic radiator valves, a room thermostat, a programmer and a smart heating system.
Turn Down Your Heating
According to the EST, turning your heating down by as little as 1°C can result in a yearly saving of around £85 to £90 in a typical home. Note that the temperature in your home should not drop below 16°C where there are elderly residents or people with compromised mobility. Frequently used rooms are a good place to site a thermostat, as this is the temperature the thermostat will work off.
Heating Zones and Timed Heating
You can have several thermostats in different parts of the building, keeping the temperature lower in some than others, saving you money as areas are only heated as and when needed. You can set your heating to turn off when you usually don’t need it like when sleeping. Keep radiators unobstructed and uncovered and they are more likely to function properly.
For those living in Northern Ireland, Finlay Fuels offer servicing of oil fired boilers, and recommend an annual service to ensure high performance. Whatever type of boiler you own, proper maintenance will result in lower fuel bills. A Finlay Fuels service includes flue analysis and efficiency testing, safety inspection and recommendations, oil tank and fuel inspection, nozzle and flexi-hose.