5 cost effective tips for heating your home

With the rising cost of living becoming a burden for us all, Plumbers Sheffield have some great tips on hand to help you heat your home in a cost-effective way. Read on to find out more!

#1 Keep the temperature controlled

When switching on your boiler, it is important that you set the temperature to a level that is just right. Remember that you don’t need to crank the heat to the max to make your home comfortable to live in. Heating your home to higher than necessary will cost more, as the boiler requires more energy to reach the desired temperature. Setting the temperature down a few degrees will also help to reduce carbon emissions, which helps to benefit the environment. At Plumbers Sheffield, we recommend an internal temperature of around 20-22C and a hot water temperature of 60C.

#2 Use your thermostat and programmer correctly

Your heating thermostat regulates the temperature of the room. Once the desired temperature has been reached, then the boiler will stop sending hot water to the radiators. If you have a portable thermostat, make sure this is positioned in the room where you will be spending most time. It is important to make sure that the temperature is set correctly as highlighted in point #1, but it is also essential to make sure that you programme your heating to come on at the correct times. An hour in the morning and an hour in the evening may be all that is necessary to heat your home efficiently, especially if the walls are well insulated. Programming your heating to come on at strategic times, will help to avoid the expense of running the heating constantly, or switching it on and off several times a day.

#3 Invest in TRVs

TRVs (Thermostatic Radiator Valves) allow you to individually regulate the temperature of each radiator, which gives you greater control on the level of heat required in each room. It might be that certain rooms do not need to be heated at all, in which case the TRV can be turned down to 0, which will help to save on money and energy use for your home. TRVs are reasonably cheap to buy and can be fitted by our Plumbers in Sheffield.

#4 Take advantage of night-time energy rates

If you have an electric immersion heater in your home, then one of the cheapest ways to heat your water is to take advantage of an economy 7 tariff. These tariffs allow homeowners to benefit from cheaper energy electricity prices at night. With a well-insulated hot water tank, you can use your immersion heater to heat the water whilst you sleep and utilise the hot water during the day.

#5 Keep your radiator system clean

It is important to make sure that the water that runs through your heating system is kept clean. Over time, sludge and dirt can build up which can cause cold spots in your radiators. These cold spots will reduce the overall efficiency of your heating system and cause you to need the heating on for longer. To know if your heating water is dirty, then try bleeding a small amount out into a container to see what colour it is. If this is not something you feel confident in doing, then call one of our Plumbing experts in Sheffield to flush out your heating system.

For expert advice and to arrange a heating service, contact Plumbers Sheffield today!