If you are wondering how you will cope with the increased energy prices, here are a few tips on how to save on your energy bills this winter. 

In this post:

1. Get a Smart Thermostat To Save On Your Energy Bills

Smart thermostats can be a great tool for keeping your home both comfortable and energy-efficient. If you install a smart thermostat, you’ll be able to set different “at-home” and “away” temperatures, so you’re not heating and cooling an empty house as much as you’d need to when you’re at home. You can sometimes even choose different heating settings for different rooms.

 Smart thermostats also offer a big advantage over just turning the thermostat up or down when you’re headed out of the house. Because they’re running off an app or a timer, you don’t have to worry about forgetting to change a smart thermostat before you leave the house. Plus, your smart thermostat can actually start heating/cooling your house to your “at-home” temperature a few minutes before you’re home, so you can relax right away, instead of having to wait it out while your thermostat catches up to your desired temperature.

2. Keep Your Boiler Maintained

Another great way to keep your household energy usage down is to make sure your boiler is working its best. Preventative boiler maintenance includes cleanings, minor repairs, and just general inspections. Along with helping you keep energy costs down by making sure your boiler is working well, boiler maintenance can also help you prevent serious repairs down the line.

3. Set Up Heating Zones 

You can also use heating zones to save on your energy bills. Heating zones are essentially just different areas of your house kept to different temperatures, depending on your use of each room. For example, you might want to keep your bedroom cool for sleeping, a family room warm for relaxing, and a home gym on the chillier side for getting in a good workout. 

Whatever your temperature preferences, controlling different areas of your home to different temperatures can be a great way to save money. You can set up heating zones with separate thermostats around your house, but maintaining heating zones is extra easy with smart thermostats.

4. Adjust Your Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) And Keep Areas Around Them Clear

Thermostatic Radiator Valves can help you manage the amount of energy used to heat your home. Set each one to a low level, especially when a room isn’t in use, to save as much heat as possible. You can even use them to fully turn off the radiator in your truly unused rooms. You’ll also want to make sure that nothing obstructs the radiator – clear any furniture, curtains, or other items from blocking the heat coming off of your radiator to make it as efficient as possible. 

5. Power Flush Your Radiators

Cleaning your radiator can be a big step to getting the most out of it. A power flush will help remove buildup and debris from your radiator. Power flushes do require special equipment, so you’ll likely need to call in the pros. In the long run, however, a power flush can be well-worth the investment; it can help protect your radiator for long-term use, and make it more effective.

6. Balance Your Radiator Systems – Upstairs and Downstairs 

If you’ve been noticing that some of your home’s radiators are heating up much more quickly than others, it may be time to balance your radiators. Once your radiators are balanced, all of them (including those on different floors) should heat up at right around the same speed.
You’ll also need to have your radiators balance if you’re having a new boiler installed. If you do this, make sure that your heating engineer gives you proof of having balanced the system; you shouldn’t have to deal with unbalanced radiators or have to fight balancing them yourself! 

7. Fit Filters on Your Radiators

Your radiators actually circulate the same water for years, until you have them flushed! This means that the water in your radiators mixes with rust, debris, and oil. At Gas-Tech, we actually can help protect the efficiency and long-term health of your radiator by installing a filter for the water in your radiator. This filter will help maintain better water quality, and can even prevent blockages.

8. Regularly Check the Water Pressure in Your Boiler 

Your boiler’s water pressure can have big impacts on your home’s energy-efficiency, too. Make it a point to regularly check on your boiler’s water pressure – having boiler water pressure that’s too low will often lead to inefficiency. To check your boiler pressure, you can typically look at your boiler’s dial – the normal range is often marked or colored to help guide you. If you find that your boiler is not operating within this range, you may want to have your boiler adjusted. If you notice that your boiler’s water pressure is changing after making adjustments, you might have a more serious boiler issue, unfortunately. 

9. Fit a Radiator Reflector to Redirect More Heat Into Your Room

A radiator reflector can be a great way to get the most out of the energy you’re already using. Placed on the wall behind a radiator, a radiator reflector is designed to reflect some of the heat that would otherwise get absorbed into the wall back into the room, making it warmer. With a radiator reflector, your radiator may be able to make your room just as comfortable while using less energy – and saving you money on your energy bills.

How Do You Get Everything Set Up so You Can Save On Your Energy Bills?

If you’re ready to try some of these ideas for saving money on your energy bills, but aren’t quite prepared to launch into a bunch of DIY projects, don’t worry! The experts at Gas-Tech are here to help tackle your heating and plumbing jobs, big and small. Just contact us to get started – our experts can come in and help you make your home more energy efficient and economical. 

In this post:

1. Get a Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats can be a great tool for keeping your home both comfortable and energy-efficient. If you install a smart thermostat, you’ll be able to set different “at-home” and “away” temperatures, so you’re not heating and cooling an empty house as much as you’d need to when you’re at home. You can sometimes even choose different heating settings for different rooms.

 Smart thermostats also offer a big advantage over just turning the thermostat up or down when you’re headed out of the house. Because they’re running off an app or a timer, you don’t have to worry about forgetting to change a smart thermostat before you leave the house. Plus, your smart thermostat can actually start heating/cooling your house to your “at-home” temperature a few minutes before you’re home, so you can relax right away, instead of having to wait it out while your thermostat catches up to your desired temperature.

2. Keep Your Boiler Maintained

Another great way to keep your household energy usage down is to make sure your boiler is working its best. Preventative boiler maintenance includes cleanings, minor repairs, and just general inspections. Along with helping you keep energy costs down by making sure your boiler is working well, boiler maintenance can also help you prevent serious repairs down the line.

3. Set Up Heating Zones 

You can also use heating zones to save on your energy bills. Heating zones are essentially just different areas of your house kept to different temperatures, depending on your use of each room. For example, you might want to keep your bedroom cool for sleeping, a family room warm for relaxing, and a home gym on the chillier side for getting in a good workout. 

Whatever your temperature preferences, controlling different areas of your home to different temperatures can be a great way to save money. You can set up heating zones with separate thermostats around your house, but maintaining heating zones is extra easy with smart thermostats.

4. Adjust Your Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) And Keep Areas Around Them Clear

Thermostatic Radiator Valves can help you manage the amount of energy used to heat your home. Set each one to a low level, especially when a room isn’t in use, to save as much heat as possible. You can even use them to fully turn off the radiator in your truly unused rooms. You’ll also want to make sure that nothing obstructs the radiator – clear any furniture, curtains, or other items from blocking the heat coming off of your radiator to make it as efficient as possible. 

5. Power Flush Your Radiators

Cleaning your radiator can be a big step to getting the most out of it. A power flush will help remove buildup and debris from your radiator. Power flushes do require special equipment, so you’ll likely need to call in the pros. In the long run, however, a power flush can be well-worth the investment; it can help protect your radiator for long-term use, and make it more effective.

6. Balance Your Radiator Systems – Upstairs and Downstairs 

If you’ve been noticing that some of your home’s radiators are heating up much more quickly than others, it may be time to balance your radiators. Once your radiators are balanced, all of them (including those on different floors) should heat up at right around the same speed.
You’ll also need to have your radiators balance if you’re having a new boiler installed. If you do this, make sure that your heating engineer gives you proof of having balanced the system; you shouldn’t have to deal with unbalanced radiators or have to fight balancing them yourself! 

7. Fit Filters on Your Radiators

Your radiators actually circulate the same water for years, until you have them flushed! This means that the water in your radiators mixes with rust, debris, and oil. At Gas-Tech, we actually can help protect the efficiency and long-term health of your radiator by installing a filter for the water in your radiator. This filter will help maintain better water quality, and can even prevent blockages.

8. Regularly Check the Water Pressure in Your Boiler 

Your boiler’s water pressure can have big impacts on your home’s energy-efficiency, too. Make it a point to regularly check on your boiler’s water pressure – having boiler water pressure that’s too low will often lead to inefficiency. To check your boiler pressure, you can typically look at your boiler’s dial – the normal range is often marked or colored to help guide you. If you find that your boiler is not operating within this range, you may want to have your boiler adjusted. If you notice that your boiler’s water pressure is changing after making adjustments, you might have a more serious boiler issue, unfortunately. 

9. Fit a Radiator Reflector to Redirect More Heat Into Your Room

A radiator reflector can be a great way to get the most out of the energy you’re already using. Placed on the wall behind a radiator, a radiator reflector is designed to reflect some of the heat that would otherwise get absorbed into the wall back into the room, making it warmer. With a radiator reflector, your radiator may be able to make your room just as comfortable while using less energy – and saving you money on your energy bills.

How Do I Get Everything Set Up so I Can Save On My Heating Bills?

If you’re ready to try some of these ideas for saving money on your energy bills, but aren’t quite prepared to launch into a bunch of DIY projects, don’t worry! The experts at Gas-Tech are here to help tackle your heating and plumbing jobs, big and small. Just contact us to get started – our experts can come in and help you make your home more energy efficient and economical.Â