TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY WITH YOUR HEATING SYSTEM

The main enemies of our efforts to save money with our heating systems, on the whole, are the twin curses of disrepair and deterioration. Sometimes we can feel that our efforts are firmly in the hands of the professional plumber, but there are means at our disposal to get the best out of our heating systems and keep them running at peak performance for as many years as possible and hence save a shed-load of money in the process. From professional consultation to a modest yet informed and productive tinkering, the following paragraphs share a few ideas that we can use to keep our heating systems operating exactly the way we'd like them to, and keep the money in our banks.

Maintenance

There are a number of regular maintenance checks you can perform yourself to make sure everything is running tickety-boo, especially regarding the boiler itself. To begin with check the pressure gauge on your boiler, first finding out what the level should be from the user manual/guide, follow the guide showing you how to keep it topped up and then make sure you do exactly that. If you're not sure how to do it from the guide then get the gas engineer to show you what to do the next time he's around or a friend/relative who is a little more clued up than yourself in this area.Keeping pressure topped up can save a lot of issues with the boiler down the line which could end up costing a lot of money.

The radiators are also an area where you may be able to save money through regular methodical maintenance. Firstly, you need to check there are no leaks apparent. What might start off as a minor discolouration or bit of damp could turn into a very serious issue. Get an engineer in to check them at first sign of a leak and prevent having to fork out for greater sums of money at a later date.Additionally, do check them for air by regular bleeding. By regular I mean at least twice throughout the winter period, and especially just prior to the first of the cold weather kicking in. Leave a radiator full of air and you're getting half the heat you otherwise could, doubling your costs.

Get a new boiler

It may have worked flawlessly down the years, but if it's over ten years old then it's probably the case that it's no longer running at optimum efficiency. Now might be a good time to work out the costs involved and see how much of a saving you might achieve within several given periods, to work out if now might be a good time to purchase a new boiler or not.

Don't be cheap

It's amazing how many people think they can save on their heating costs by waiting until the temperatures drop to near sub-zero levels before they fire up the boiler. This is, unfortunately, a false economy for a number of reasons. To begin with a cold house takes a lot of heating up, whereas a warm house will just need a bit of gentle topping up from time to time. There's little difference in cost, one being immensely more uncomfortable than the other, with low usage also inviting damp into the home possibly creating other, more serious expenses, along the way. It's also incredibly unhealthy for your boiler to go long periods without use.