There’s a lot you can do to save energy and cut your energy bills.
Here are some tips that will help you keep your home warm, dry and safe, as well as help the environment.
Of course, if you need expert advice or assistance, our friendly team is only a phone call away.
Radiators use water heated by your boiler to warm the air in a room. In order to do their job effectively, radiators must always be free of air and full of water.
Check for cool spots on your radiators, particularly towards the top. It could mean that air is trapped inside. To release the air, wait until the radiator is cold, then use the special key to turn the air release vent.
If you have a sealed heating system (with no water tank), check that the water in the system is at the right pressure, topping up the levels if necessary. Your installer should have shown you how to do this. Alternatively, watch the Worcester Bosch YouTube video.
Keep the areas around your radiators clear of furniture and long curtains to ensure the heat is not blocked. If a radiator is fitted to an outside wall, a sheet of reflective foil on the wall behind it will reduce heat loss through the wall.
If your radiators feel excessively hot and the boiler keeps turning on and off, the temperature of the water going to your radiators may be set too high. This wastes energy and reduces the boiler’s efficiency. Adjust the temperature using the central heating control dial or adjustment switches on your boiler.
If you decide to turn off individual radiators, for example in rooms that are not being used, this might affect the overall heat output. Radiators in adjacent rooms may have a slightly lower temperature.
The UK’s water sources are under stress, and we all need to take action to reduce our water consumption. Here are some ideas.
Taking a shower usually uses less water than running a bath. If your shower uses a lot of water, consider fitting a water-saving shower head. Or take shorter showers.
A running tap uses up to 6 litres of water a minute. Don’t leave it running if you’re cleaning your teeth or peeling vegetables. Drips or leaks should be fixed promptly.
Older toilets use more than twice as much water as modern designs, so consider replacing your old toilets. You could also fit a cistern displacement device so the tank holds less water.
Unfortunately the half-load setting on some washing machines and dishwashers does not use half the water. Wait until the appliance is full before switching on. You’ll save electricity as well as water.
Water-saving ideas include installing a water butt to collect rainwater for watering, replacing sprinklers with a hose pipe or watering can, and ensuring you only wet the soil rather than the plant’s leaves.
If you like your drinking water cool, don’t run the tap until the water runs cold. Keep a jug of tap water in the fridge. Leftover drinking water can be used in the garden.
Think about how much water you really need. Consider steaming vegetables instead of boiling them (which is also heathier and improves the taste). And only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need.
Installing a meter provides an excellent incentive to save water.
In small households it could also cut water bills.
Condensing boilers have a condensate pipe, typically a small plastic pipe which takes the waste water from the condensing process and sends it to the sewer. There is a risk that in particularly cold temperatures it can freeze, which will stop the boiler from working.
If this happens, you will need to thaw out the frozen section. This can be done using a hot water bottle, a heat wrap from a pharmacy, or by pouring warm (not boiling) water over the pipe. Then you can reset your boiler.
It’s a good idea to ask a specialist for advice on insulating the condensate pipe to avoid problems in future. For more information, view this Worcester Bosch video.
From choosing the right boiler to switching to LED lighting or cooking in bulk, there are many ways to save energy, cut fuel bills and help the environment. Here are just a few ideas.
LED light fittings use up to 90% less power than incandescent light bulbs and last a lot longer. They’re also easily controlled and allow for creative lighting effects in the home.
If you haven’t already done so, insulate your roof space to reduce heat loss through the roof. You may be able to get a grant towards this under the government’s ECO scheme.
Solar water heating panels can provide up to 60% of your hot water free – from a clean, renewable energy source.
Make sure your fridge and freezer are out of direct sunlight. They’ll use less power to stay cool.
Single-glazed windows, particularly with steel frames, can lose a lot of heat. Consider replacing them with PVCu, wooden-framed double-glazed units or other secondary glazing solutions.
Prepare food in bulk to save on oven time. You can freeze extra portions, reheating them in a microwave (which uses half the energy of a standard oven).
Connecting groups of appliances (like your TV, set-top box and DVD player) to multipoint sockets makes it convenient to switch them all off in one go when not in use. Don’t forget to turn off smart device chargers as soon as your device is fully charged.
Run hot water first, then add cold water afterwards – the bath will fill more quickly (but take care around small children). If your bath is made of cast iron or pressed steel, the water may cool more quickly. Try putting insulation underneath and around the bath.
Tumble driers emit up to 3kg of carbon for every hour they’re turned on. Take advantage of warm or windy weather to hang laundry out to dry.
Carpets and rugs on hard floors help to retain heat and reduce energy bills. Lined or heavier fabric full-length curtains provide excellent insulation (but ensure they don’t cover radiators).
Try setting your dishwasher and washing machine to a lower temperature – and wait until they are full before switching on. Lowering the setting of your room thermostat by 1°C can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10%.
Modern condensing boilers capture heat from the gases released from the flue and use it to heat the water returning from your central heating system. This means the boiler is much more efficient and produces more heat for every unit of gas or oil. Less fuel is used, which means you pay less and carbon emissions are reduced.
Use draught excluders to block heat loss from doors, windows, letterboxes and keyholes.