DESIGNER RADIATOR

Home energy saving tips

As energy costs keep rising and global climate change produces warmer summers and cooler winters, higher and ever increasing energy bills are on the horizon for everyone. For this reason saving energy whilst still maintaining a warm home are important objectives.

Actions that can be taken

The good news is that there are a number of energy saving actions that can be taken to reduce energy usage and fuel bills, as well as ensuring that the heating system is running as efficiently as possible, and some of these are given below.

Radiators

Surprisingly and almost illogically, adding some additional radiators to a room or home can actually save money if your boiler’s energy output is under utilized. Many modern boilers have the capacity to produce more energy (in kilowatts) than the combined energy requirement of the radiators that they feed. When this is the case, adding some extra radiators can actually result in more heat at the same cost. To find out more go to this page Adding extra radiators.

Updating radiators can also save money. Old style radiators do not distribute their heat as efficiently as newer models and, after years of use, they may be clogged up, further affecting their heat generating capacity.

Modern designer radiators are highly efficient and, aside from their attractive styling, they are very effective at distributing heat. Many of these designer radiator units are not as expensive as they were a few years ago, so they can be worth considering if you are thinking about radiator replacement and running efficiency.

Radiator maintenance

Are your radiators working properly? Periodically check to see if your radiators need bleeding. This will be necessary if the top portion of the radiator is cold when the rest of the radiator is hot. If this is the case then you have air in the system and this air needs removing. This is done by bleeding the air out of the radiators by opening a radiator outlet on one of the upstairs radiators. A special radiator key is used for this and it is a simple job that takes a matter of minutes. Radiators keys are available from most DIY stores and plumbing outlets.

Keep radiators clean. Ensure that the back of all radiators are free from accumulated dust or other debris. The rear of convection radiators, where the ribs or fins project, promote air flow and convection currents that pull cold air up and across the radiator. These area need to be clean for the radiators to work at maximum efficiency. If they are not your heat will be trapped and it will not circulate around the room.

Conserving the heat that you already have

Conserving existing energy is a very important and often cheap way of cutting energy expenditure and there are several actions that can be taken. The first of these is to lag any pipes with insulation (which will keep the heat in the pipes and prevent pipe bursts after freezing).

Another measure is ensuring that there is adequate insulation in loft spaces and cavity fill insulation in cavity walls. Double glazing can help to keep heat in the home and it will also prevent condensation and cut noise transmission from outside.

Boiler and control system

Monitoring the heating system’s thermostat and adjusting it when the house feels too warm can save a surprising amount of money. In temperate and seasonal climates the thermostatic will need periodic adjusting for its timer settings and doing this can prevent the heating being used when it is not required.

Old boilers can often cost money by virtue of their inefficient energy usage. Find out if your boiler is running efficiently and, if necessary, have it serviced by an engineer or technician. A well maintained boiler will run more efficiently and save money. If a boiler is old and out of date, replacing it with a modern low energy usage model can reduce costs and the savings that are made will quickly pay for the cost of the new boiler.