With energy costs on the rise, people are looking for any ways they can find to reduce their bills. Which methods work and which ones should be tossed out?

Does Turning Up Your Thermostat Heat Your Room Faster?

No. Setting the thermostat to a much higher level will make no difference to how quickly your home warms up. In fact, it can result in you overshooting the optimum temperature, wasting more energy. Set your thermostat to your goal temperature, not above or below it.

If you want a quicker method of heating, which can be used in short bursts and thus uses less power, infrared heating might be an option to consider.

Does Closing Doors Help Keep My Home Warm?

Yes! Always close the doors to rooms you’re not heating. This will keep the cold air they contain confined to that space, reducing the impact on your heating.

Unlike infrared heating, convection heating is hugely impacted by drafts, so by doing this you’re giving a traditional boiler system the best chance to work.

Is It Cheaper To Have A Bath Or Shower?

It depends! If you like to have quick showers, it’s a lot cheaper than running a full bath. However, you shouldn’t assume that all showers are inherently cheaper to run. If you like long 20-minute showers, you could wind up using more hot water than a large bath!

Should I Heat Water On A Kettle Or Hob?

It takes the same amount of energy to heat water whether it comes from a kettle or a hob, and so both methods are perfectly acceptable. Do note that with a kettle it can be tempting to overfill it with more water than you need. It’s best to use the amount of water you need and no more.

If you have a gas hob, this will likely work out as slightly cheaper, purely because gas prices are a little lower, but it’s not a significant difference and is subject to fluctuating prices.

Can I Use My Oven As A Heater?

Obviously, you shouldn’t use your oven as a primary source of heating! However, if you’re cooking, it’s a good idea to turn your heating off and let the natural convection effect take place. Your cooker will help warm your home, without doubling up on heating and leaving you feeling overly hot.

Bonus fact! It’s best to cook more things at once, you will not save energy by having a less full oven.

It’s Cheaper To Leave Your Heating On All Day

This is untrue, and a very common myth, where people assume it is cheaper to maintain a constant low temperature than to spike to a higher one. There is no reason to leave your heating on all day, especially if you’re not using it.

A much more effective use of your time is to set timers on your thermostat, or use a heater like our NXTGEN range, so your heating comes on automatically when you typically need it.

One important caveat: if your home is prone to condensation, having the heating on low all day can be a way to counter this.

Is It OK To Leave Appliances On Standby?

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average UK home could save between £30-£80 if we all remembered to switch off our appliances at the wall! The most common example is your phone and laptop chargers. if you leave a charger plugged into the mains it will continue to draw a small amount of power, even if it’s not connected to any device!

Save yourself some extra pennies and make sure you switch these off at the plug. As an aside, switching off your device at the wall is the same as unplugging them entirely, so don’t stress about leaving plugs lying around!

Note that this does not apply to boilers, it is best to control those via your thermostat rather than manually turning them on or off. Likewise, heat pumps are designed to run all day, although they use less power at night or when residents are out.

Does Turning Off Radiators Save Money?

Yes, but only if you use thermostatic radiator valves. If you’re only using a few rooms in your house at any given moment, it can be well worth turning down these valves. The more radiators you have operating the more energy you’re using, simple as!

However, with traditional convection radiators, it’s best to avoid turning them off entirely, as this can lead to condensation and damp build up. In addition, radiators can take a while to kick in, so you’ll need to plan ahead which rooms you intend to use, or else you’ll wind up shivering for ages!

Looking for an even more convenient way of heating individual rooms? Our Wi-Fi enabled IR panels, such as the 350W Solis Wi-Fi Infrared Heating Panel are a great option. They can be switched on and off independently of each other, and they use direct radiant heating that gets works straight away.

Does Insulation Really Make A Difference?

YES. Having good insulation could save you upwards of £250 a year. If you’re looking to make your home heating more effective, investing in better insulation should be your first priority, it has a huge impact no matter what heating method you choose to use.

Got any more questions about how to heat your home? Get in touch with one of our expert team members by giving us a ring on 0116 321 4124 or by sending us an email at sales@suryaheating.co.uk.

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