How to save money on heating

Energy consumption throughout the UK has been steadily rising since 1970, especially with the climatic changes in temperature.

Between 2010 and 2012, there was an increase of 11% in terms of energy consumption, and this rate is only expected to rise. Instead of allowing your household to become one of the homes that are negatively impacted by rising costs along with rising energy consumption, consider these tips to help you save money on your heating.

Tip 1: Investing in energy-efficient radiators

The first thing to consider is whether you have an energy-efficient radiator or not. You will be surprised at the sheer amount of money you could be throwing out of the window if you have an outdated or inefficient radiator. With companies like us, you will find energy-efficient models that are simple to use and easy to install. Not only do energy-efficient appliances help you to cut costs on your monthly bills, but they also help to preserve the integrity of the environment. According to The Energy Act 2011, households in the UK are responsible for ¼ of the greenhouse gas emissions.

You may be wondering how an energy-efficient radiator can help you to save money. These units are designed to keep your home at a comfortable temperature without consuming an ample amount of energy. The D Series radiator is just one of the many units from Rointe that offers a unique low consumption technology known as Fuzzy Logic Energy Control. It’s an advanced technology that allows radiators to consume much less energy to keep your home comfortably warm. Finally, homeowners have the ability to own a radiator that reaches a non-consumption coefficient of 62%.

Tip 2: Insulate your home

Another important factor to take into consideration is the insulation throughout your home. When a house is built, insulation is needed between the inner and outer walls, along with in your attic space below the roof, to help moderate the temperature within the home. In the event that your insulation is old, or if it isn’t sufficient enough for the size of your home, you will want to contact a contractor to determine whether you should have it replaced or not. Insulation is essential to keeping the warm air inside of your home so your radiator doesn’t need to constantly be running to keep temperatures at a comfortable level.

You can find more information about housing insulation and where you can find contractors to assist you, here.

Tip 3: Roof maintenance

Many homeowners are surprised to learn that their roof is also a large part of why their home may or may not be energy efficient. As one of the most important parts of any building, your roof has many responsibilities including keeping your belongings safe from the elements and maintaining a comfortable temperature inside the home.

If your house has a faulty roof it can lead to at least 1/4 of your warm air escaping through the top of the building. Imagine that your home is a bottle and the lid is the roof. As we all know, hot air rises, and so if you have a damaged bottle cap all of the hot air is going to escape through the top of the bottle. Many homeowners find it quite useful to call a roofing contractor and inquire about a quick inspection. With their help, you can determine whether any roof repairs are necessary to help you save an ample amount of money on future heating costs.

For more tips on how you can optimise the energy efficiency of your roof, visit this page.

Tip 4: Smart programming and control

The technologically advanced heaters that you can find from companies such as Rointe, make it incredibly simple to save money on heating. It will also save time when it comes to learning how to use your radiator. These radiators are designed to offer personalised programming that enables homeowners to set the temperature in their home through the convenience of a mobile application. The free Rointe Connect app works perfectly with our electric heating, so you have more control over heating your home.

As an example, with the help of the app, you can turn your heater off during the day while you’re at work or if you’re on holiday. You can then turn the heater on whilst you’re commuting so your house is at a comfortable temperature when you need it to be. There are a variety of other useful features integrated into the mobile application, such as being able to review your daily energy usage and tips for helping you to save more money.

Another important advantage to Rointe Connect is that it gives you the ability to control all of your heating equipment from one convenient location. You won’t have to worry about dealing with separate thermostats or switches. Instead, all of your heating controls will easily be managed with a touch of your finger. This is essential for individuals that are interested in installing Rointe radiators in both residential and commercial properties. You can easily set up different zones or manage individual units through their app. There’s nothing better than being able to have your heating products function together as one and manage them all from one convenient location.

Tip 5: Be aware of your spending habits

Electricity is a utility that generally costs more than oil and gas and has become more expensive since 1980. In fact, the cost of electricity has increased by over 1/3 since the 80’s. The main thing to consider as a homeowner who is looking to cut back on spending, is to be alert on the amount of money you’re putting into electricity bills every month. It’s easy to simply pay a bill, but it’s important to consider if there are any ways that you can cut back on your spending.

As time progresses, customise the settings on your heater or review your daily usage. The more that you’re able to understand your average usage, the more you’ll be able to cut back on spending. This is simple with the help of Rointe Connect as the application gives you the most important information you’ll need in one convenient location. You’ll be able to view your consumption, temperature, savings, and other important data statistics to help you save more. Also, the app is multi-platform so you can view it on your smartphone, tablet, or PC.

One added feature of the Rointe Connect App is the E·fficiency Function. It allows the user to see real-time data like never before. You won’t have to wait until the end of the month to see your heating costs. You can see daily, weekly and monthly stats which give you a new insight into your heating expenditure. It shows the efficiency rating of each of the zones in your installation, so you can respond accordingly if one room or area is highlighted as not efficient. This also shows the consumption over time, so you can see exactly when you are spending most, and make changes accordingly. The Cost statistics show the spending over time, but this data leads to the most impressive reading from the E·fficiency functionality, the accumulated savings over time, from this you can see just how much you saved daily by using these energy efficient heaters.

Tip 6: Window replacement

Much like ensuring that your roof is in working order, households throughout the UK should consider window replacement to help lower their average heating costs. Although the average cost of energy bills has dropped by approximately 4.4% today compared to the prices in 1970, there’s always room for homeowners to keep more money in their pockets.

Window replacement is a great way to improve the energy efficiency of your home, not only in the winter but in the summer as well. The idea is that the more energy efficient your windows are, the less warm air will escape during the colder months. It’s quite common for homes to have inefficient windows, whether they were never sealed properly or if they’re made with thin panels of glass that don’t prevent the transfer of heat and cold. This is quite similar to why you should have your roof inspected to ensure that it is in working order, as your windows can also be responsible for letting more warm air seep through the cracks. You should also consider investing in double or triple glazing, if you don’t already have it. Not only will it help block out sounds from the outside, but helps to keep your home thermally insulated.

You can easily learn more about how energy-efficient window replacement can benefit your monthly bills, here.

Tip 7: Set the temperature between 18 – 21ºC

To obtain a warm but healthy environment, we recommend a temperature between 18 – 21ºC. This will keep your home comfortable, whilst helping to reduce your energy consumption. The basic level of warmth required for a healthy, well-dressed person is 18ºC. This standard is recognised by the WHO and the minimum standard for the UK Cold Weather Plan. Of course, some of us (like the elderly or ill) need higher temperatures, but for the average healthy person, high temperatures can cause cardiovascular risk, headaches and dry atmospheres which irritate the skin. Ultimately the purpose of your heating system is to keep you warm during the colder months, but for most people, we recommend a healthy range between 18-21ºC depending on your needs. Also, don’t forget that reducing the temperature by just 1ºC can reduce your heating bill by up to £85 per year!

Tip 8: Select the electricity tariff that suits you best

The UK has a wide variety of energy providers including the Big Six (British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE), alongside newer, smaller suppliers.  They all have different rates and customer satisfaction scores, but with prices rising year on year, it’s important to choose the right tariff and supplier for your needs. Many of us have stayed with the same provider for years, mainly because we believe it’s easier than switching. But comparing suppliers can not only save you money, it could help with your energy consumption and its easy to do. If you’re thinking of switching, your potential suppliers should talk you through their different tariffs, rates and provide advice on your energy consumption. They’ll even organise the switch for you and contact your current supplier to let them know.

As energy prices are currently rising, it’s important you get the best value for money. Saving money on heating is simple as long as you have energy efficient heating, take advantage of smart home technologies and consider maintaining the integrity of your home. By using this guide you should easily be able to decrease the total amount of money put into your monthly heating bills.