There are many little things you can do on a daily basis, some of them so simple and some so obvious that it would be a shame not to do them. We have sorted them out to help you reduce your heating bill and your carbon footprint at the same time.
#1 Use the sun to heat your home
The sun is free energy, so why not take advantage of it? During the day, open the window curtains and make your house a solar energy collector. This way, the sunlight will naturally heat your home. At the end of the day, close them again to prevent heat loss.
#2 Cover the coldest windows
Air leakage is the first source of cold, windows the second. It is easy to spot bad glazing by the condensation that forms on its surface when there is a large temperature difference between inside and outside.
Lack of budget or time to replace them this year? In the meantime, there are other lower-cost solutions:
- Consider installing insulating curtains or adding a thermal lining to those already in place.
- Place a heat loss film to create a temporary double or triple glazing.
#3 One degree more, one degree too much!
There is a recommended temperature for each room:
- 19 °C in the living rooms (living room, dining room, kitchen)
- 17°C in bedrooms
- 22°C in an occupied bathroom and 17°C when unoccupied
These values are good benchmarks but must obviously suit you, and may be revised upwards if there are small children or elderly people living in the home.
Did you know that 1°C more is 6% more consumption (source: ENOVOS)! Over a year, this will not be negligible on your bill.
#4 Adjust the temperature of the domestic hot water
When we talk about saving energy, we don't think about the temperature of the domestic hot water, as it doesn't directly affect our comfort.
A temperature of 55 °C to 60 °C is ideal. It is sufficient for all domestic applications and limits the development of pathogenic bacteria without scaling the water heater. Remember to keep an eye on it, as a wrong initial setting can persist for years without being noticed.
#5 Plan your hot water production
If your central heating system is gas or oil fired, you will always want to produce hot water intermittently. Some systems are pre-equipped with a timer, or this can be installed by a professional.
On the other hand, if you use an electric water heater and have a bi-hourly meter, the calculation is worth doing... You hesitate? The ecological argument will make the difference and the timer will be preferred.
Final tips for the road
Some good habits to adopt on a daily basis:
- Place reflective panels on the back of your radiators
- Regularly bleed and dust your radiators to optimize their efficiency
- Insulate hot water pipes
- Keep doors to living areas closed
- Don't heat areas where people pass through
- Do not dry clothes on the radiators, as this will prevent the radiators from working properly and cause the boiler to run longer
- Avoid using electric heaters, nothing uses more energy than them
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