Heating

Gas & oil burners

Gas and oil burners are still widely used. Their efficiency depends on their age and how often they are being serviced on one side and on how well your house is insulated on the other.

Measures to save energy and money:

• Turn down the main thermostat on the burner unit to 19 degrees. Reducing the heat output can give an average saving of 10% per degree.

• Only turn on the burner unit when you need it and/or use the timer function.

• Only turn on the radiators in the rooms you are using. Recommended temperatures for living areas is 18-20 degrees, for bedrooms and hallways 15-18 degrees are sufficient.

• Rarely used rooms (e.g. utility room, hallways) only need heating once or twice a day for an hour to avoid build up of dampness.

• Keep doors closed so heat doesn’t escape from the heated area into areas where no heat is needed.

• Get your windows serviced to avoid draughts and other heat loss.

• Use draught excluders / draught excluder strips for doors (including attic doors) & windows.

• Get your boiler serviced once a year and consider to upgrade - older boilers can run at only 50% of their capacity.

• "Air" your radiators every 3-6 months - air trapped in the radiators reduces their effectiveness. Turn the heating off at least 1 hour before removing the air.

• Make sure radiators are not covered (e.g. by curtains) or obstructed (e.g. furniture).

• Use radiator foil behind your radiators. This works particularly well on outside walls.

• carpets & rugs as well as heavy curtains can reduce heat loss through the floor and windows.

• Insulate your home (see Upgrading your home).

Electric heating

Electric heaters (plug-in and installed) are on average more expensive than gas and oil alternatives. They can however be a cheaper alternative if they are connected to domestic solar power.

Measures to save energy and money:

• Use night storage heaters to take advantage of cheaper night tariffs.

• All of the above.

Solid fuel stove

If your home life mainly happens in one room (e.g. kitchen, kitchen-living area) a solid fuel stove could be a cost saving alternative for both heating and cooking.

If and how much money you can save with solid fuel however depends very much on the current gas/oil prices compared to the current solid fuel prices. You should however be aware that all solid fuels - especially fossil fuels like coal and turf - are among the highest CO2 emitters.

An on average reasonably priced and most environmentally friendly option for solid fuel stoves are bulk loads of hardwood. It is in the widest sense renewable and emits less CO2 than other solid fuels.

When buying hardwood make sure to get properly dried wood and to store it accordingly. Damp or wet wood will reduce your heat output considerably.

Measures to save energy and money:

• Ensure the stove is properly installed to avoid heat loss via the chimney.

• Keep your firewood dry.

• Get most out of your stove and use it for cooking and boiling water.

• Overall gas/oil burners are more efficient for heating the whole house.