Winter is upon us, and the coldest months are fast approaching. To help you get through this time, we’ll share some tips with you to reduce your energy usage by optimising the use of your gas boiler.
Set a heating schedule – or get a smart thermostat fitted
If you can, put a heating schedule in place that will automatically turn your gas boiler off at certain times of day – this will stop you from using energy when you aren’t home or don’t need your home heated as much.
Alternatively, consider getting a smart thermostat fitted, which will enable you to control your heating from anywhere in the world via an app on your phone. Many offer scheduling and features such as proximity tracking, which you can set to turn on your heating when you are within a certain distance from your home, making it warm and cosy, ready for your arrival. At Prime Time Boilers, we offer both Hive and Tado° smart thermostats.
Turn your heating down a degree or two
Turning the temperature down a few degrees can be a great way to save cash and reduce your carbon footprint. Not only will it help you avoid wasting energy, but it will also make your home feel warmer and cosier.
We recommend setting the thermostat on your boiler between 18-21°c. Turning your thermostat down by just one degree could save an estimated £100 per year on gas bills.
…And turn off radiators in rooms you don’t use often
If you don’t use a room for most of the day, why have it heated? By turning off radiators in some rooms, you will save money, and your home will also heat up quicker as your boiler doesn’t have to heat up such a large area.
Check your hot water temperature
It’s also important to ensure your hot water temperature is not too high. The recommended temperature is 60 degrees Celsius (or 50°C in modern homes). If you set it higher than this, you’ll waste energy. It’s pretty likely that you won’t even notice that you’ve turned the temperature down, and doing this also serves as a safety measure; there won’t be a risk of scalding yourself under a hot tap anymore!
Think about when you fill a bath or your washing up bowl; often, people will fill it up with hot water and then add cold to bring it to the perfect temperature – by doing this, they have just wasted energy on heating water that they’re making cooler again!
It is easy to turn the water temperature down on most modern boilers. If you’re unsure, take a look at your boiler manual, it’ll likely be the case of pressing a couple of buttons.
Service your boiler
Your boiler is responsible for keeping you warm during the winter months therefore, it’s essential that you service your boiler every year to ensure that it runs efficiently and safely. A boiler service will include checking your system’s components to ensure they are working correctly. This includes checking pumps, thermostat settings, pressure valves and much more!
A good boiler engineer can spot problems with your system before they become a major issue and cause expensive repairs or even replacements. If you want to ensure that your boiler is serviced every year and want to spread the cost, take a look at our boiler service plans.
Conclusion
All these tips are easy to implement and will help you save on gas bills. But if your boiler is old and inefficient, it could be time to replace it with a more efficient model, as it could save you money in the long run.
If you have any questions about upgrading your heating system, contact us online today, or call our team on 0808 134 9499 (landline) or 01992 238 252 (mobile) to discuss your options.
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