If you have bought an existing home or are renting, you may have inherited an
inappropriate and expensive heating system. However, there are things you can do to
reduce your heating costs without sacrificing your personal comfort. In fact, you can
easily and cost effectively improve your comfort by paying particular attention to:
YOUR HOME: Ensure your home retains the heat you put into it.
(Insulation, effective window coverings and draught-proofing are all vital).
YOUR HEATING SYSTEM: The way you maintain and operate your heater can
influence its running costs. Learn the right methods, and you’ll find that your heating
system costs you less to run while providing more useful heat.
Insulate
Uninsulated ceilings, walls and even
floors can account for over 70% of total
heat loss from a home. See our brochure
Insulating your home for further details on
insulating products and procedures.
Seal out draughts
Air leaks can account for 15 – 25% of
heat loss from an uninsulated home,
and create uncomfortable draughts.
Our brochure Sealing out draughts
pinpoints common problem areas and
suggests cost-effective methods for
dealing with them.
Protect your windows
Up to 30% of total heat loss from a
home occurs through uncovered
windows. Close-fitting, heavy drapes or
blinds, or double-glazed windows reduce
heat loss. If you are replacing windows or
building consider installing high
performance windows to reduce your
heating needs. Refer to our brochure
Energy saving for windows for more details.
Zone your home
Being able to close off different areas of
warm air
your home allows you to heat only those
Pelmet
areas in use at any one time. Open-plan
cold
(closed
homes without zoning mean that the
glass
at top)
still air
whole house will be heated at once,
layer
regardless of which areas are being
used—a costly and wasteful exercise.
closely
Install doorways or other barriers
Inside air
woven
between different areas of the home,
cooled
fabric
e.g. between living and sleeping areas,
by glass
and informal and formal areas. The ‘wet’
areas of your home, e.g. bathrooms and
laundries, should also be a separate zone
as they are usually unheated and well
ventilated.
