The UK energy crisis. The chances are that you’ve heard about little else of late. With wholesale gas prices going ever upwards, we saw numerous energy companies going to the wall. As if this wasn’t bad enough, next we saw the energy price cap being raised. There is even speculation now that household energy bills will hit £3,000 a year. All alarming when you’re looking at heating your property and managing your other bills.
It’s not just energy bills that are causing us concern. With soaring fuel costs we have now hit the highest levels of inflation seen for 30 years. It’s all too easy to become engrossed in all of the doom and gloom, but there are some simple steps that you can take to save money while heating your property.
What steps can I take?
While the usual advice when it comes to saving money when heating your property would consist of shopping around suppliers, right now that doesn’t really apply. The market is constantly changing, but right now you’re going to struggle to find any deals that really jump out and grab your attention. Instead, there’s a need to take some practical steps, such as:
Ensuring that your heating system is up to scratch
Have you checked that your radiators are doing the job that they’re supposed to be? Do you know when the last was that you held your radiators? If you have pockets of air in your heating system, not only are you going to have rooms that aren’t probably heated, you’re going to be spending more money than you need to. Why? Air pockets mean that your heating system isn’t able to work as efficiently as it otherwise would.
If there are air pockets in your radiators, we advise bleeding your radiators. This should be easy enough to DIY and will cost you nothing to do. All you’ll need is a radiator key (which is available from any hardware store or you can get it on Amazon!). Inset the radiator key into the valve at the top right of your radiator and turn it anti-clockwise. Once you do that, you’ll hear a hiss – that’s the air escaping from the radiators. You shouldn’t fully open the valve simply because the water will come out once all the air has escaped.
Once you’ve got to the end, meaning you’ve reached the little bit of water at the end, tighten the valve by turning the key clockwise.
How hot is your water?
Okay, no one wants a cold shower and, when we wash up, we want to make sure that the water isn’t ice cold. However, how hot is too hot? If switching your shower up to max sees you being scolded and your hot taps are too hot to touch, there’s a good chance that you could save some money by lowering the water temperature.
This is usually an easy task and can be done with a dial on your boiler.
Is your boiler as efficient as it could be?
While there is an upfront cost, a new, energy-efficient boiler, will certainly see you save when it comes to heating your property As your boiler ages, its efficiency will start to wane. This is bad news for the environment and just as bad news for your pocket!
To break it down, your old non-condensing (C-rated) may have an efficiency of 85% which means for every £1 you spend heating your home, you’re losing 15p! Although this initially might not seem like a lot of money, when you look at the bigger scale for every £100 you spend on heating £15 will be wasted. This is only the beginning as boilers tend to efficiency over time so you will end up losing £30 when the boiler’s efficiency drops to 70% and even more when it drops to a 50% efficiency rating!
How well is your home insulated?
Ensuring that your property is properly insulated can bring your heating bills down. Whether it is loft insulation, cavity walls, or even new windows (double and triple glazed are with considering), these can all make an impact. When looking at steps such as these, it is always worth checking out if there are any government grants that can help you with the costs.
Invest in smart thermostats!
You’ll be surprised to know that a smart thermostat saves you money by learning your habits and changing the temperature of the room you’re in to suit you. If can combine a smart thermostat with a smart TRV then you will surely and steadily start seeing the savings mounting up!
RWinvest, specialist’s in buy to let property investment in the UK, have installed smart thermostats in their latest properties as demand for energy-efficient and eco-friendly properties is increasing. Smart thermostats are not only cost-effective but are better for the environment as they aim to reduce the amount of energy waste.