Money Saving Tips During Lockdown
It’s fair to say that nobody is made of money, even wealthy people don’t like parting with it. And that’s not an unreasonable standpoint to have.
The basics are simple. Have the boiler serviced every year. Ensure that the heating system is clean, and make sure the system is used properly. In lockdown you can’t call anybody out. You need some advice on how to reduce your bills we will run through some of the principles so it all makes sense.
It’s all about efficiency
Central heating efficiency can split into three components. The obvious one is how efficient the boiler is. Any condensing boiler should be around 90% efficient. For every pound you spend on fuel 10p is lost outside and into the atmosphere. Pretty good, right?
How efficiently does the boiler heat the radiators? If the boiler is internally dirty, even if it is a year old, the efficiency can be reduced by 30%.
The final component is the radiators. Are they clean inside? If the radiator isn’t big enough for the room then it’s not really efficient. Many designer radiators are beautiful but struggle to heat the room which they are in. Form over function.
The easy wins
Flushing the heating system right now is off the cards. There is no value in discussing flushing the heating system right now. But you can take a few simple steps.
- Bleed all the radiators
- Make sure the boiler has enough pressure
- Make sure curtains are behind radiators and sofas are few inches away from radiators
- Reduce the thermostat temperature
- Use a programmer, set alarms on your phone if you don’t have a programmer
- Reducing the temperature
There is no point keeping the heating on at a lower level that is uncomfortable. It should be comfortable. It shouldn’t be comfortable sitting in underwear. If it’s that hot, it’s too hot. And you are paying for it. Every degree you reduce is a nice saving on your annual heating bill. Find that sweet spot, keep windows closed when the heating is on, and be safe.
Timing the heating
Is it cheaper to keep it on all the time? No. It isn’t. Off is off.
It is more cost-effective to keep the heating on in a new build property. A house built in the 80s or later is cheaper to heat than a Victorian property. The smart way to use the heating is to use it at a lower temperature over a timed period.
No heating timer? No problem. You can set timers using mobile phones or other kinds of alarms to remind you to switch it on and off.
Get Cozy
During lockdown you possibly don’t want to spend your time entwined with your love ones. There is nothing wrong with a blanket. If you’re sat watching TV, you might as well heat yourself up rather than half a dozen rooms or more that you are not using. A more sophisticated way of doing this is to close all the doors in the house. Turn off the radiators to all the rooms you aren’t using. Heating 3 rper than heating 6 rooms. You are effectively reducing the size of the heating system and that reduces the bill.
Lockdown Summary
We hope some of this has been helpful to you in these strange and difficult times.
We’ve given a few hours of our time and experience to try to save you some money and hassle. It’s not much but we are all trying to do our bit.
Keep exercising and vary your days. Get fresh air even if you sit reading the news or on social media near the back door. Follow government guidelines. Keep washing your hands and don’t touch your face. Stay hydrated and stay sane.
