Energy Effiency Booster

– Read Our Simple Tips Below Proven To Lower Your Gas Bills!

We Were Awarded The No.1 Heating Company For Energy Efficiency In South East England 2021.

How To Lower Your Gas Bills

You’re right to be. With the cost of living crisis affecting us all and winter fast approaching, it’s paramount your heating system is working with you, not against you. The situation with energy bills was this week described by Martin Lewis as “a national crisis” on the scale of the Covid pandemic and whilst that may sound extreme, as a heating business, we are inclined to agree.

With that in mind, we are keen to provide you with some information and tips to help you make smart choices in your home and ensure you’re protecting your pocket as much as possible.

In fact, small tweaks you can control with your central heating system mean you can save up to 20% on your gas bill. We’re here to help.

Turn Down The Flow Temperature On Your Boiler

Do you have a condensing gas boiler? It has the ability to be up to 94% efficient (otherwise known as A-rated), however, reaching these sorts of efficiencies so often depends on how it is set up to work with the rest of your central heating system. 

Average home efficiencies in the UK are closer to 80%, suggesting there is significant room for improvement and money saving. We see this as a huge opportunity.

The biggest improvement we so often recommend is that condensing boilers are never set-up to be A-rated out of the box. This is due to a few reasons, however, often because of a knowledge gap between the installer and how to optimise the boiler for your home.

Fear not, however. You can make some simple tweaks to the boiler in your home to improve its efficiency by 10-25% that don’t require extensive knowledge of heating or plumbing.

Firstly, what is the ‘flow’ temperature on your boiler? Flow temperature refers to the temperature of the water in the supply (flow) pipe in a heating system. Out of the box, the flow temperature of your boiler is typically set at 75°C and for the average household, simply put, it is overkill.

In fact, the majority of UK households can operate optimally with a central heating flow temperature of 55°C, showing how out of sync this factory setting flow temperature is.

As a homeowner, to have a flow temperature of 75°C, your system is overheating to the point where you’re wasting energy. The sweet spot is a steady heat coming from your radiators, providing enough heat in the house without being red, red hot. This steady heat will still make sure your home is comfortable for you and your family.

 The beauty of having the knowledge to adjust this yourself is that you can fine-tune the heat coming from your system so it is perfect for your home year-round. If it’s too hot, tune it down. Too cold, up the flow temperature.

A 10°C lower flow temperature can save you 6-8% on your gas bill alone, solidifying how important this tweak can be to saving energy and, above all else, money for you and your family.

In order to lower the flow temperature on your boiler:

 

  • Refer to the hard copy operating manual that would have been presented when the boiler was installed. If you don’t have the manual, you’ll be able to find a digital copy online.
  • You can also give your manufacturer a call and they will be able to advise on how to reduce the flow temperature over the phone.
  • Book in your annual service with your local heating professional (If you’re in Kent, that’s us!) and ask them to check the flow temperature of your boiler, the hot water temperature and your boiler controls to set them as efficiently as possible. They should also be able to provide you with additional energy saving advice, bespoke to your home and system. Just make sure you research reputable heating companies beforehand so you can rest assured the engineers are gas safe and have a good local reputation.
  • Finally, you should also ask the heating engineer who carries out the service to show you how to adjust the flow temp and hot water temp on your system so you can make adjustments as and when you need to, based on the time of year and your usage.

With that in mind, we are keen to provide you with some information and tips to help you make smart choices in your home and ensure you’re protecting your pocket as much as possible.

In fact, small tweaks you can control with your central heating system mean you can save up to 20% on your gas bill. We’re here to help.