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Saving energy is not a one-off thing. It is very much a continuous process. Only by following up on matters day after day will you end up saving a lot of energy (and money) over time. Quite an undertaking, you say? Not really, a string of minor efforts combines to produce a big result! And to help you make the biggest possible saving on your heating, there is a handy aid: the thermostat.
A thermostat tells your central heating how warm your home is. As soon as the temperature gets too cold or too hot, the thermostat sends your boiler a signal telling it to start or stop pumping heat. Back in the old days, users had to control their thermostat manually by turning a rotary knob. Nowadays, thermostats simply read the temperature by themselves. They also enable you to preset the exact times when your heating system is meant to switch on and when to switch off.
The only way to make the most of your thermostat is by getting to know it inside out. Thoroughly read the manual and find out which features serve a useful purpose in your situation. Most digital thermostats allow you to preset scenarios for each day of the week or the weekend, and even have dedicated programs for the holiday periods.
The ideal room temperature is somewhere between 19 and 22 °C.
Reducing the thermostat by 1 °C sees you use at least five percent less energy.
Reduce the heating in rooms you do not use that much, such as your bedroom, the hall, the box room, … – or simply do not heat them at all.
Set your radiators to switch on an hour or so before you get home. This will avoid having to turn the heating all the way up when you get in.
Clean your radiators at regular intervals.
Do not cover up your radiators.
If you have a boiler with a summer mode, be sure to use it. The summer mode prevents your heating from self-activating, but it will keep the boiler ready to heat domestic water.
Consider low temperature heating.
