Be Energy Conscious
Central heating isn’t exactly an inspiring conversation choice. Nobody even likes thinking about their bills other than to wish for them to disappear. But heating our home is something we all have to do in one way or another and unfortunately we have to pay for it.
However, you can make a few small changes to your home and appliances that will not only save you money but they will also mean you’ll be doing your bit for the environment.
Most of us use boilers to heat our home. Thanks to the combi-boiler, gone are the days when you needed a large space, separate to your boiler, for the hot water tank. Not only do combination boilers save you space, they also save you money.
Combi-boilers only heat up the water when you need it meaning you won’t have the heating on all the time just so that you can have a hot shower in the morning. You will save on your energy bills because you will be using less power so you’ll reduce your carbon footprint.
You should also switch to energy-efficient boilers, known as condensers. By using the gases that would normally escape from the flue to condense the water vapour in the tank back into water you’ll save power and reduce heat loss.
This summer, British Gas is making the switch more affordable. If you buy a new boiler from them before 25 July you could save £852, including £400 off a new boiler, free home care for one year worth £204 and free radiator heating and controls installation worth £248. Plus you could save around £170 a year on your heating bills.
The free controls installation offers further savings potential. By having full control over the heating in your house, using timers and individual thermostats on each radiator, you can chop another £100 off your annual heating bills.
If all of us installed one of these new energy-efficient combi-boilers we would save enough energy to heat 3.4 million homes for a year and will prevent 13 million tonnes of CO2 escaping into the atmosphere.
Once you’ve spent the money on keeping your home warm, don’t let the heat escape. Nearly half of the heat from your home is lost through the roof and walls, so you will save a considerable sum by getting the proper insulation.
Although installing the proper insulation will cost around £700 for your cavity walls and roof but it can save you £365 a year on your electricity bills and you will qualify for a tax rebate from your local authority of up to £125, so it will pay for itself in less than two years.
British Gas is not just a gas supplier. They are also an electricity supplier and can also help you with the installation of a new Worcester boiler.