The cost of energy in the UK has rocketed over recent years, which means that the typical household now has to shell out far more to keep their home warm. While this isn’t such a big issue during the summer months, now that winter is here it is a real problem for many. The cost of energy usage can really eat into your monthly income, which is why so many people are keen to find ways to make their homes more energy efficient when it comes to heating in order to help control their outgoings.
There are various steps that you can take when it comes to making your home more energy efficient and keeping it warmer during the winter months. This includes everything from the use of draught excluders and the installation of insulation where required through to selecting the right heating system for optimum efficiency without compromising on heat output.
Selecting the right heating system
The heating system that you choose for your home will make a big different to the amount of energy you use, which in turn will have an impact both in terms of how eco-friendly your home is and how much you have to pay out in terms of energy bills. Some older properties simply have gas or electric fires to heat rooms rather than any form of central heating system or radiator, and these can prove very costly to run. In addition, they only warm the immediate area around the fire, which means that the rest of the room and indeed the property is still cold. You therefore need to make sure that you look at another solution. While gas central heating is a popular option and can help to heat the whole house far more cheaply than fires, it can be costly to install and maintain, which again affects affordability.
An alternative solution, which is far more cost effective and eco-friendly, is the use of electric standalone radiators from specialists such as VeriSmart. These do not require installation and can be moved around as required. In addition, they are cheap to run and do not use huge amounts of energy like other heating solutions such as those mentioned above. To get a better idea of the amount of heat you need to adequately warm a room based on the BTU or British Thermal Unit, you can use a heating calculator and base your calculations on the size of your room in square feet or meters. This will help you to make a more informed decision with regards to the most efficient and suitable heating solution.
It is also important to look at other contributory factors that can affect the energy efficiency in your home. For instance, if you do not have any double glazing then the chances are a lot of heat is escaping from your windows. You should make sure that even if you are unable to stretch to double glazing for your home you consider alternative solutions such as secondary glazing, which is more affordable but can still be effective in helping to retain heat.