Free and Simple Money-Saving Strategy You Can Use Right Now
Low homeowners could save hundreds of pounds on their winter fuel bills by simply making a few easy adjustments to their boilers. Many residents are going to be hit with record-breaking bills in the next few months.
But experts at Rapid Response Plumbing and Heating, who provide energy efficiency tips, insist that there are two small changes you can make to the functioning of your boiler that could save you up to 17%, or around £299, without your house becoming any colder.
Two Simple Boiler Tips are Quick Straightforward
1. Turning Down Your Temperature Flow
The flowing temperature of a boiler controls how hot the water is when it exits the boiler and travels to your radiators.
The majority of condensing combi boilers within the UK are still at factory default, and this is commonly around 80C, while boilers cannot perform at their most efficient at this temperature.
When a condensing boiler is combusting a gas, plenty of heat can be lost through the flue and onto the street – this heat seems to disappear into thin air. Leaking steam from a flue means that the flow temperature is excessive and heat is leaking away. You may even investigate if this is occurring if the flue is externally visible on the side of your house. At comparatively low temperatures, the boiler reuses a lot of the heat back into the water it is trying to heat. For a more efficient boiler approach and information on electrical safety precautions for homes and workplaces, check out our blog on Electrical Safety for Homes and Workplaces here.
Six to eight percent of the home’s annual gas cost can be saved by bending the flow temperature down, said Rapid Response Plumbing and Heating. Of note, while condensing boilers are A-rated on the packaging (efficiency), they may not achieve an A-rating within the house, she said. Some A-rated boilers were found to achieve E-rated levels of efficiency within the house, at 75% efficiency only.
Reducing the flow temperature is not the same as reducing the thermostat. The boiler and radiators will still run to maintain room temperature at the same level as before, albeit it will take the house a little longer to warm up.
It is important to note that you should only do this if you have a condensing combi-boiler that is not fitted to a hot water cylinder. If you do have vulnerable people in your home, you need to be careful about leaving rooms cold as well.
“Millions of our customers who tried our energy-saving technique over last winter season told us that they did use it, saving almost £101 off their bills,” she explained.
2. Turning off Your Boiler’s Pre-Heat Function
“If the boiler is not warming up and heating the house, it will burn anyway, just to maintain that water at temperature, even if nobody is at home at daytime, and certainly it will burn all night long, even when hot water is not requested,” the Rapid Response team told us. That means burning gas night after night for nothing.
Switching off the pre-heat setting could mean waiting a bit longer for the shower to heat up in the morning, but it is slightly less inconvenient than the hundreds of pounds saved. The rapid response team estimates that houses could save 5 to 10 percent of their gas use.
The boiler manual or internet must include guidance on how to switch off the pre-heat facility. The Rapid Response team, however, recommended that during times of drought, individuals switch on the pre-heat if they had to wait an inordinately long time for hot water to come through to the taps. They can still switch it off at any time of day or night.
If you wish to save over £299 on energy bills through the boiler process, get in touch with a fast response plumbing and heating expert to receive full information on money saving and what the best deal is on a new boiler installation. Ring us now at 07888078885 to inquire about money saving on energy bills by utilizing the best boiler.