This is one of a series of articles provided by the Plumber Chelmsford blog.
Ever increasing energy costs have hit UK householders hard in recent years and there looks to be no respite in the immediate future. Heating your home has never been so expensive and government research shows that the energy costs eat into the average family budget like never before.
It has never been so important to keep the cost down, so how can you take simple steps to do just that.
Most people start thinking about switching their heating back on at the end of the summer and at the beginning of autumn. There is an urge to prolong the summer warmth in the home around October time when the nights draw in. If you want to save money, the answer is to wait until the true cold weather kicks in, say by November or even December. The average household can save £19 per week by doing this.
When you finally decide it is time to switch on the boiler, turning down the temperature on the thermostat by 1 or 2 degrees lower than you would normally have it set at could save you 10% on your bill each month. Most homes in the UK have their thermostats set at around 20 degrees. Turning down to 17 or 18 degrees is unlikely to make any significant difference to the overall temperature in your home, particularly on warmer days, but will save you money.
Another energy money saving tip that is certain to work is to keep your bedrooms at a cooler temperature. If your bedroom radiators have thermostatic radiator valves turn them down to a low setting. Scientific evidence proves that the human body is naturally inclined to go to sleep at lower temperatures so it makes sense to keep bedroom temperatures lower than the rest of the house. It will not only save you money but may also help those who struggle to get to sleep consistently.
For those wishing to make long term savings that will have a high impact on your bill for years to come, it will mean updating your central heating system with the latest technology. This is likely to involve hefty costs in the short term but the long term benefits will be significant.