With energy costs continuing to rise and temperatures continuing to decrease, it can be a challenge to keep those heating bills affordable. Recent studies from the BBC show that around 2.5 million households across Britain have witnessed their annual energy bills increase by more than £116, on average – but what can be done to reduce this figure and save on your heating bills?
We’ve put together our top tips on how to save on your heating bills so you can keep your home warm without burning a hole in your pockets; including some easy tricks that you can implement right now!
Rising Energy Bills for Homes on Economy 7 Tariffs
While the rise in energy costs has affected everyone across the UK, it seems that households on the Economy 7 electricity tariffs have been hit the hardest. Unfortunately, those on the Economy 7 Tariffs, originally brought in back in the 1960s, are now outside of the government energy support programme.
Following a 7.6% hike this year, E7 customers are now experiencing daytime rates of nearly 60p per kWh – a huge increase from the 35p maximum allowed by government support for those on standard tariffs.
If you’re still relying on night storage heaters to heat your home and you’re experiencing these same increases in your energy bills, then it’s time to upgrade to a more energy-efficient and affordable solution like Elkatherm, as soon as possible.
Get in touch with a member of the North East Heating Solutions team today on 0800 270 7736 or request your free quote now to discover how much you could save. Or continue reading for more top tips on how to save on your heating bills.
Turn down your thermostat
It sounds ridiculous if you’re trying to heat your home, but many of us Brits are guilty of setting our thermostats way too high! Did you know that turning your thermostat down by just 1 degree could save you up to £75 a year on average?
Research carried out by Uswitch found that over a tenth of all UK residents are heating their homes to temperatures of 25°C or above – temperatures you’d expect to experience on your summer holidays!
The recommended temperature to set your thermostat ranges from 18°C to 21°C, so start at a low temperature and work your way up to whatever you feel is best for your home.
Get rid of those draughts
Having your heating on in a home full of draughts is an absolute waste of money. Stop paying to have the heating on and letting all that warm air straight out the window – literally!
Tiny gaps around your windows and doors, even your letterbox and the keyhole could be contributing and wasting the heat you’re paying all that money for. We recommend using draught excluders around your doors, using sealant or draught excluder tape around your windows and investing in a letterbox brush and keyhole cover designed to every last bit of heat in.
Don’t fall for heating myths
Everyone’s guilty of whacking the thermostat right up to try and get your home warmer quicker, but it just doesn’t work like that, unfortunately! In reality, adjusting the temperature on your thermostat won’t change the temperature of the water in your system – it just means you’re raising the temperature at which your boiler will turn off.
So by doing this your home won’t get warmer any faster, and you’re wasting more energy and spending more money as your heating will simply stay on for longer!
If you find that your radiators take a very long time to get up to temperature, it might be time for an upgrade. Our range of electric radiators can reach their full operating temperature within just minutes, regardless of the season; helping you to save money and warm your home faster than ever before!
Keep the heat in
Is your loft insulated? Studies by the Energy Saving Trust found that insulating your loft space can save homeowners as much as £600 a year on their energy bills! Without insulation, the heat you’re paying for is simply escaping through the empty space above you and dissipating outside.
While installing insulation can be expensive, you’ll make your money back within a year or two on the money you save from your energy bills, and your home will stay warmer for longer – win-win!
If you’ve already got insulation in your loft but it’s pretty old, it could be worth topping it up to the recommended thickness of 270mm in order to reap the benefits.
Use your heating wisely
Using timers to switch your heating on during specific parts of the day can therefore help you to keep costs low. Our smart radiators are all time and temperature controlled, meaning you can set a timer or simply control your heating with a handy app – easy peasy!
Upgrade to energy-efficient heating with North East Heating Solutions
If your existing heating is old and tired, then it’s not likely to be very efficient. Upgrading your radiators can significantly lower your heating bills. At North East Heating Solutions we provide and install the best products available in German electric heating systems, allowing you to heat your home with ease and reduce those energy costs. Sounds good? Why not get in touch today – simply call now on 0800 270 7736 to organise your free survey!
