With the well documented rising costs of energy, it is more important than ever to make sure we’re as efficient as possible with the energy we use. When it comes to your heating oil there are a number of things that you can do to make sure your heating and hot water are as efficient as possible.
Tips to maximise your heating oil energy use:
- Not all rooms are equal. Adjust the thermostats or the valves on your radiator(s) so that living areas are 20°C and bedrooms are 16°C. Keep internal doors closed. Do you really need to heat up hallways and landings?
- Turn bathroom fans off as quickly as possible to prevent heat loss, it’s amazing how quickly the can draw the heat out of a room. If they are on a timer, adjust the timer so that it is not running longer than it needs to be. This will save you electricity too.
- Dress in layers; layers keep your warmer than wearing just that one heavy garment.
- Wear thicker socks or slippers! If your feet aren't cold you'll be less likely to turn the heating on. Remember heat rises, so your feet will always feel colder even in a warm house.
- Make sure heat vents and radiators are free of obstructions. If they're covered with furniture, long curtains or drying clothes, the air cannot circulate, and then the warmth won't reach you.
- Open curtains and blinds during the day to let the sun in. Even on cold days it's surprising how much heat can come through from sunlight. Of course, you need to be quick to close them in the evening and when you have put the heating on to help to keep the heat in.
It may seem obvious, but the hotter you have your home, the more money you'll spend heating it. The Energy Savings Trust estimates your annual heating bill increases by about 10% for every degree you turn the thermostat up.
Turning the thermostat down will therefore save you money, and a typical home can reduce their carbon emissions by about 300kg a year for every degree the thermostat is turned down, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
Spend a bit now and save in the long run
- Make sure that all potential sources of draughts are well sealed off with weather stripping or other suitable draught excluders.
- Use a humidifier if the air in your house is really dry. Humid air feels warmer.
- Make sure that your oil boiler and the burner unit is burning the oil as efficiently as possible; Get it serviced annually by an OFTEC certified technician.
- If your burner is getting on in age, maybe you should consider a new more energy-efficient model. Riello burners are used widely in Worcester Bosch, Grant and Warmflow boilers and can be upgraded. Your boiler service engineer is the best person to ask.
- If your flue doesn't have a flap (or some other mechanism) to close it when you don't have a fire, buy a chimney draught excluder.
Even if you only apply some of these tips, you'll make your tank of oil last longer.
