Beating the winter blues: A guide to staying warm without breaking the bank
With the days growing shorter, it’s that time of year again when households across the UK face surging heating bills. Here are some tips to stay warm, while still saving on your energy bills!
- Check your Thermostat:
The UK Government currently recommends keeping your home at a minimum temperature of at least 18 degrees C. Long exposure to temperatures colder than this have been found to have adverse health effects such as increased blood pressure, reduction in blood flow to extremities, such as your hands, legs and face, and an increase the likelihood of catching viruses. Very cold temperatures can also cause freezing of pipes in your property. But if your thermostat is currently set higher than 18-21 degrees, reducing it by even a degree can help significantly cut on your energy bills. If you have a gas boiler, turn on the heating only when you need it and program it to switch off when you’re not at home. An exemption to this is if you’ll be away for an extended period time (such as during the winter break). You’ll want to keep your heating to a minimum of 12 degrees in such cases to prevent damage to the pipes in your property.
- Reduce the radiator flow temperature on your boiler:
The radiator flow temperature is the temperature of the water as it leaves your boiler to the radiators in homes with wet central heating. Most homes in the UK have combination boilers which connect directly with the mains’ cold-water supply providing hot water on demand, rather than storing it in a tank, allowing you to select the temperature for your hot water and radiators separately. This water temperature for your radiators is different from your thermostat and the default is usually set to 75-80C. A ‘Heating up to Net Zero’ paper published by the Heating and Hotwater Industry council suggests that by reducing this temperature to 65C, you can save up to 6-8% of your gas bill.
Reducing the flow temperatures, though, would mean that it will take longer for your rooms to heat up and this might not work for older homes with smaller, ‘undersized’ radiators. This is also not advisable for other (non-combination) boilers that store water in a cylinder as these can be prone to legionella contamination at lower temperatures. You can use this interactive guide to check your boiler type and get step by step instructions to change your radiator flow temperature: https://moneysavingboilerchallenge.com/.
- Turn down unused radiator valves:
If you have any unused rooms in your house, turn down the radiator thermostat to allow the heating to be more effectively directed elsewhere in the property that you would use more often. Make sure you remember to close these room doors though!
- Bleed your radiators
If you hear odd gurgling sounds from your radiator or if it’s warm at the bottom, but cold to touch at the top, it might be sign that your radiator requires bleeding. Trapped air within the radiator can cause it to not heat up efficiently, and bleeding your radiators every few months and after long spells of it going unused can make a large difference to your heating quality. Here’s a step by step guide to bleeding your radiators: How to bleed your radiators – Which?
- Try Radiator reflectors for uninsulated walls:
Radiator reflectors are thin sheets of foil that can be placed on the wall behind the radiator. They reflect the heat that would have otherwise been lost through the wall back into the room making it warmer. This can be an inexpensive way to improve the efficiency of your heating especially if your property has uninsulated single walls. You can find a comparison of radiator reflectors here: https://heatadviser.co.uk/best-radiator-reflectors/.
- Insulate and draught proof:
Uncarpeted flooring can be a source of heat loss making the property feel much colder. Adding some rugs to the wooden flooring in your property can add an extra layer of insulation and brighten up the property. You can also get draught excluders to place under doors and windows or make your own DIY one. Opening your curtains to let in sunlight during the day can also help add some warmth, but make sure you close them after dark to prevent heat from escaping.
- Space heaters:
Electric/space heaters can be an effective way to boost heating in a specific room for a short period of time without needing to heat up the entire property. But the cost of electricity is higher than the gas used for central heating, and using multiple space heaters across the property or using it for an extended period of time can actually work out to be more expensive than using the central heating.
- Warm Yourself
Finally, one of the best ways to cut down on heating bills and stay warm during the winter season would be to focus on warming yourself. Layering up your clothing and making sure you have warm blankets and duvets, can help you stay warm while still keeping those energy bills at bay. You can also try electric blankets, heating pads or hot water bottles for those freezing days when you might just need a bit more of a heating boost!
Staying warm in Scotland’s freezing winters doesn’t have break the bank. A few simple changes to your thermostat and radiator settings and simple additions to your house such as draught excluders, rugs and warm clothing can go along way in keeping you warm.