Prioritising the efficiency of our home energy usage is paramount. Below, are five practical tips that can set you on the path to immediate energy savings.
- Schedule and zone your home
An effective way to help manage rising energy costs – and to keep the whole household happy – is by zoning and scheduling your heating. Zoning your home has been shown in studies to provide energy savings of up to 37%.
Leaving the heating on all day in every single room is needlessly expensive, especially if you aren’t using every room that you are heating. We recommend continually adjusting and reviewing your heating schedule around the climate, especially during winter when temperatures fluctuate rapidly, and turning your thermostat down by just one degree can save you up to 8% on your heating bill.
Utilising a smart system such as WundaSmart to zone your heating room by room via your phone gives you ultimate control and insight into your heating usage, all at your fingertips, while eliminating the need to turn down radiators manually throughout the winter. Each room or zone can be set at different temperatures, ensuring you have the perfect temperature for each room. It may sound obvious but heating just the living room for 12 hours is a lot cheaper than heating the entire house for 12 hours.
- Reduce draughts where possible
Many are unaware that homes can lose 10-20% of their heat through windows and external doors, making it vital to audit and seal any gaps where even the slightest draft could be creeping through. Installing energy efficient glazing and high thermal performance doors is one of the best long-term investments to reduce heat loss and cut bills.
For a free and sustainable solution, try keeping your curtains closed to help retain heat lost through windows and doorways throughout the night and even in the day in rooms you’re not using. To take this a step further, investing in heavy or thermal lined curtains will yield the best results. In lieu of a separate porch space, a heavy curtain across the front door will prevent unwanted drafts. Make sure to keep both internal and external doors closed, and better yet, invest in an external letterbox and some draught excluders. Using a fridge magnet over the keyhole is another simple, cost-effective trick to keep drafts from entering.
- Don’t let heat escape, insulate
Ultimately, any heating system is going to either underperform or cost you more money due to a longer running time if your home isn’t properly insulated. We can lose up to 25% of heat through the roof of an uninsulated home, so this is a great place to start to reduce costly bills.
Most of our homes already have insulation in the space between the rafters in our lofts but leave the hatch uninsulated. If your loft is particularly susceptible to drafts, insulating and keeping your loft hatch closed could help retain further heat. Simply use standard loft insulation, a specially designed loft hatch insulator cushion or a simple draft excluder around the hatch opening, most of which are available at your local DIY store” shares Tom. “You should also consider fitting your hot water cylinder with an insulating jacket if it isn’t already – it could save you up to £35 a year in heating costs as well as 115kg of carbon emissions.
- Optimise your interiors
Rearranging your interior layout can significantly improve the way heat flows throughout your home, and it is important to ensure furniture isn’t blocking your heat sources, such as sofas in front of radiators. “Consider removing radiator covers, they may look nice, but they could in fact be hindering heat circulation. Unless safety is a real concern for young children, you can improve the look of your old radiator with just a fresh lick of paint. Utilising rugs for hardwood flooring is another great tip to keep warmer underfoot.”
If you are looking for a failsafe, future proof solution for your home heating, investing in low temperature water-based underfloor heating such as Wunda’s Rapid Response® system is a fantastic way to enhance your interiors while achieving lower energy consumption and bills. Installation is much easier than it sounds and can even be a weekend job for seasoned DIYers without the need for disruptive weeks of digging up flooring and laying screed.
- Never skip on maintenance
Scheduling annual maintenance for your heating system is key, and a well-maintained furnace or boiler will operate far more efficiently, saving you money in the long run. Our boilers are often set to the maximum temperature (70-80°C), but you can still achieve a comfortable, more efficient output from your radiators at a lower input (60-73°C). You’re highly unlikely to notice the change yet it can make a considerable difference on bills.
