Tips To Reduce Your Heating Bills
A CORGI HomePlan survey of 2,000 UK homeowners showed that 33% of people disagree over when to go for the “big switch on”, while the debate over the length of time the heating is cranked up each day rages on, for more than a quarter of couples.
Domestic wars are also fought over the temperature the thermostat is set to (26%) and whether windows should be kept open or closed (25%).
Two-thirds of women believe they’re in control of the heating at home, with almost half regularly overriding programmed heating. In fact, a staggering 42% of women turn up the thermostat temperatures set by their partner, compared to just 22% of men.
All of the above means that almost one-fifth of couples regularly end up locking horns over their heating bill.
Happily, CORGI HomePlan has a host of quick tips to help lower your heating bills, along with your chances of having an argument, this winter:
Lightbulb Moment
Energy saving bulbs last up to 10 times longer with each one saving an average of £3 per year. Having one in every room of the house can truly add up.
Turn Down The Heat
Lowering your thermostat by just one degree Celsius and putting on a jumper could help to reduce your average bill by 10% during the colder months. Save even more money by turning down radiators in barely used or empty rooms.
Down With Draughts
Fitting draught excluders to doors and windows can help to save up to £25 a year on heating bills.
Check Your Boiler
Make sure your boiler is energy efficient. An “A” rated boiler could help cut your annual heating bills by 30%.
And also check your electrical appliances
An “A” rating is the most efficient and will therefore be the cheapest to run.
Turn Out The Lights
Always turn lights off when you leave a room and the same goes for electrical appliances if you’re not using them. Leaving them on standby uses power that will cost you money.
Insulate Your Home
Loft insulation can cut heating bills by up to 25% and insulating your walls could save around £100 a year.
Fridge Freeze
Set your fridge temperature to between three and five degrees Celsius – the optimum temperature for energy efficiency.
Watch How You Wash
Having more showers and fewer baths can help save money on heating and water bills. Switching your washing machine to a 30 degree wash can cut your energy consumption by 40%.
For more great money saving advice, check out Money Talk in My Weekly every week . . .
Moira Chisholm
I'm the Health Editor on My Weekly and am always interested to hear what's new in this fascinating field. I also deal with the gardening, shopping pages, general features, our website content and the Ask Helen problem page. I have a special interest in Christmas content because I'm on the team for Your Best Ever Christmas Magazine, too!
